MONDAY, MAY 4, 2020Maintain Distance, Stay Safe

SEE FULL STORIES ON PAGE 2

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BY MAHEESHA MUDUGAMUWA

The total amount of money printed by the Government so far stands at less than 0.2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the Finance Ministry revealed yesterday (3).

Speaking to The Morning, Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Atygalle justified the printing of money to meet financial demands at a time the country was facing its worst-ever economic crisis due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The Secretary ruled out any negative impacts to the economy in the future as a result of excessive money printing, claiming that it was not only happening in

Sri Lanka but in other countries, including the US, as well.

According to statistics, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) printed approximately Rs. 213 billion since the first week of March this year, with the start of the Covid-19 outbreak in Sri Lanka, with the CBSL’s holdings of government securities, which stood at Rs. 78.01 billion as of 12 March this

year, reaching Rs. 291.83 billion as of 24 April.

According to CBSL data, since the beginning of this year, it has pumped Rs. 217.1 billion into the market.

Elaborating further, Atygalle stressed that the money printed by the Government had been pumped into the local market and as a result, the Government could keep inflation at a low level. On the other hand, since imports have been restricted, the money would not be going out of the country and would instead circulate within the system, he explained.

Atygalle said: “I don’t see any negative impact in printing money, as at a time

like this, that is the only option any government has. If you look at the US Government, it also applied the same method to stabilise and maintain the financial sector.”

CBSL data further revealed that the total outstanding market liquidity was at a surplus of Rs. 96.352 billion by the end of the week, compared to a surplus of Rs. 82.126 billion by the end of last week. During the year up to 30 April 2020, the Sri Lankan rupee depreciated against the US dollar by 5.8%, against the pound sterling by 0.7%, the euro by 2.8%, the Japanese yen by 7.5%, and the Indian rupee by 0.4%.

Treasury defends money printingz CBSL printed Rs. 213 b since early March z No negative impact, says Treasury Secretary

The United National Party (UNP) has announced it will not attend the meeting called by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to discuss the current situation in the country.

Issuing a press statement yesterday (3), the UNP claimed that the meeting called by the Prime Minister was politically motivated.

Contd. on page 2

UNP to boycott meeting with PM

Prime Minister (PM) Mahinda Rajapaksa, issuing a statement yesterday (3), alleged that the Opposition’s efforts to reconvene Parliament were aimed at using their majority in Parliament to block government finances.

Rajapaksa further alleged that the Opposition intended to sabotage the anti-coronavirus campaign in order to bring disrepute to the Government before the election.

The PM went on to say that

under Article 150 (3) of the Constitution, the President has complete authority to allocate funds for any purpose for which funds had not been allocated by Parliament.

He added that after the new parliament convenes, the Opposition can raise questions on how money was spent between the time the old Parliament was dissolved and the the new one was convened.

Contd. on page 2

Opposition will block govt. finances: PM

The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has removed the maximum retail prices (MRP) of Mysore dhal and canned fish.

The relevant Gazette Notification was issued under Section 20 (5) of the CAA Act No. 09 of 2003. The Extraordinary Gazette has been signed by CAA Chairman Major General (Retd.) Shantha Dissanayake.

Contd. on page 2

Removed from dhal and canned fish

The Election Commission (EC) has decided to seek the Attorney General’s (AG) opinion on the validity of the nominations which were accepted during public holidays in March, a member of the EC, Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole told The Morning.

According to him, the decision has

been taken by the EC after a political party representative raised issues about the declaration of holidays and whether it would affect the validity of the nominations received by the Commission during those holidays.

Contd. on page 2

AG to decide fate

INCLEMENT WEATHER

The Department of Meteorology forecast showers or thundershowers in a few areas in the Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa, and Uva Provinces and in the Galle and Matara Districts in the evening or night.

Showers or thundershowers are likely to occur over coastal areas of the Western and Southern Provinces.

Contd. on page 2

Heat index at danger level

BY AGRA RANASINGHE

Sri Lanka has so far conducted around 25,000 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests in total, to detect those infected with Covid-19, and the number of tests done daily are being increased to around 1,500-1,800, The Morning learnt.

Contd. on page 2

zOver 25,000 PCR tests so far

1,500-1,800 tests done daily

POSTAL SERVICES TO RECOMMENCE

BY SARAH HANNAN

The Joint Postal Trade Unions Front wrote to the Postmaster General indicating that the postal workers will not be reporting to work today (4) as most of the post offices and sub post offices had still not been disinfected.

The unions also stated that the necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) that should be used by the postal workers had not been supplied to the respective post offices yet.

“We were instructed that safety measures should be in place prior to opening the post offices to the public once the curfew is relaxed. Although the Postmaster General had issued the guidelines to us through a WhatsApp

message, most of the post offices have not received the necessary tools and sanitisation liquids as agreed the previous week,” Postal and Telecommunications Officers’ Union General Secretary H.K. Kariyawasam told The Morning.

Kariyawasam said that most of the staff volunteered to deliver the medicine issued from government hospitals to their monthly clinic attendees; even during this initiative, some of the postal workers had not

received the necessary facemasks or gloves and had to source their own PPE.

Furthermore, since the health authorities have instructed to function with a minimum number of staff, the postal service will function at very low capacity, causing delays in delivering post to houses.

“For us to function at an optimum level, the transport facilities too have to function, as our service is dependent on the Sri Lanka

Transport Board and the Sri Lanka Railways Department, to exchange correspondence and parcels,” Kariyawasam added.

As delays in restoring these services get further delayed, more delays could be expected in restoring the postal service. He also noted that it can also have an effect on the upcoming general election, as the transfer of parcels of postal vote forms too is handled by their department.

Contd. on page 2

Workers demand safety measures

BY SKANDHA GUNASEKARA

The Government yesterday (3) asserted that it was the responsibility of the provincial councils to ensure social distancing was followed on public transport.

Contd. on page 2

Responsibility on provincial authorities: Govt.

A warm welcome

Residents of Immamul Aroos Mawatha, Maradana were welcomed by the security forces and health authorities with flowers and certificates, on their return home after the area was reopened yesterday (3)

PHOTO SAMAN ABESIRIWARDANA

SOCIAL DISTANCING IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

RESUMING UNI OPERATIONS

The Lanka Private Bus Owners Association (LPBOA) said yesterday (3) that although curfew would be lifted on 11 May, private buses won’t be operating.

Contd. on page 2

No private buses in operation

Pannila and Cheenakotuwa in Beruwala, and Akurana in Kandy were re-opened yesterday (3), Army Commander Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva said.

These areas were placed under lockdown and were categorised as isolated areas after reports of increased Covid-19 infections.

Akurana was declared an isolated area on 29 March, while similar restrictions were imposed in Beruwala on 14 April.

Contd. on page 2

Akurana, Beruwala out of lockdown

Only once safety is ensured: FUTA

The Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) said they are ready to return to work once all necessary safety measures and precautions are in place and the restriction on travel between districts is removed.

“Precautions need to be taken before reopening universities.

Contd. on page 2

EVEN AFTER CURFEW LIFTED

Covid-19 patients, once recovered, will not be re-infected, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Anil Jasinghe revealed.

Contd. on page 2

Not re-infected: Health authorities

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COVID-19 RECOVEREESMAXIMUM RETAIL PRICE

2020 GENERAL ELECTION

the morningMonday, May 4, 2020

2 NEWS

Contd. from page 1

Cartoon of the day

In a letter to the Chairperson and other members of the Human Rights Council of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), former Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP M.A. Sumanthiran PC outlines his interpretation of the legality of the curfew imposed, lifted, and re-imposed in various parts of the island since 20 March. The contents of the letter have been reproduced below.

Imposition of “curfew” I write this in the public interest.However, at the outset I must declare my

“interest” in a related matter. I appear as Counsel in

the Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court in Case No: B/1454/20 for Mr. Ranjan Ramanayake, former Member of Parliament. In the course of my submissions made to court on 20 April 2020, I took up the position that no curfew has been declared in the country in terms of any applicable

law. Having recorded my submission in this regard and while granting bail to my client, the learned Magistrate very specifically held that he was not making a determination

as to the legality of the curfew at this point in time. It is pertinent to note that my client has not been accused of violating any curfew.

An islandwide “curfew” was declared from 6 p.m. on 20 March 2020 and announced to the country by the President’s Media Division (PMD), which has virtually been in force up to now with variations in certain districts and “curfew” being “lifted” and “re-imposed” at different times in different places.

I am of the opinion that restricting movement is desirable and necessary at this time in our country in order to meet the challenge presented by Covid-19. There is no gainsaying that such restrictions including curfew must be imposed legally under applicable provisions of law. Insofar as I have been able to ascertain, this has not been done under any extant legal provision. Such action therefore poses a grave threat to the rule of law and indeed to the

wellbeing of the people of this country.In these circumstances, I wish to draw your

attention to Section 10 (c) and (d) of the Act No. 21 of 1996, by which the Human Rights Commission is empowered to advise and make recommendations to the government and urge you to kindly address this particular situation which I detail below:

Curfews in this country have hitherto been imposed by the use of emergency regulations after bringing Part II of the Public Security Ordinance into operation by means of a proclamation. This has not been done in the present instance.

Further, there is provision under Section 16 of the Public Security Ordinance (which comes under Part III) to impose restrictions on movements of people by making publication in the Gazette to that effect. This also has not been done.

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has noted that any restriction on the freedom of movement guaranteed by Article 14 (1) (h) of the Constitution must be prescribed by law: “…(t)he right of citizens to travel on public

highways and to have access to public places may only be curtailed by restrictions imposed in terms of Articles 15 (6) and 15 (7).” – vide Vadivelu v. OIC Sithambarapuram and others (2002) 3SLR 146.

In conclusion, Mark Fernando J. held: “There is force in the respondent’s contention that the restrictions complained of were imposed in the interests of national security, and were reasonably necessary for that purpose. However, Article 15 (7) required that such restrictions be imposed by a law, or by regulations made under the law relating to public security. Accordingly, the travel pass system constitutes a restriction not authorised by Article 15(7). I hold that the petitioner’s fundamental right under Article 14 (1) (h) had been infringed by executive action by the application to him of the travel pass system.”

Article 15 (7) of the Constitution very specifically provides: “For the purposes of this paragraph, ‘law’ includes regulations made under the law for the time being relating to public security.”

There is also the question as to whether the

law relating to public security can be utilised to impose curfew for exigencies of public health hazards. But leaving that question aside, there is at present no regulation made even under the Public Security Ordinance.

Thus, the present “curfew” has not been legally imposed, however desirable and necessary it may be. In fact, it is all the more important that the restrictions on the freedom of movement be properly and legally prescribed and enforced given the grave need for such in the present context and the need for certainty in this regard.

Although, in view of the above, it is not necessary to discuss the regulations made under the Quarantine and Prevention of Diseases Ordinance, I am annexing copies of same to show that in any case, none provide for the imposing of curfew. I trust the Commission will give due consideration to the matters raised by me in view of the very serious public importance of this issue and advise the Government on the need to rectify and regularise this matter without any further delay. In view of the public importance of this matter, I am releasing this letter to the media.

Curfew not legally imposed: SumanthiranLETTER TO HRCSL

Opposition...“At this moment, we should set politics aside

and concentrate on controlling the coronavirus outbreak and restoring normalcy to the lives of the people,” Rajapaksa added.

PM Rajapaksa’s full statement is reproduced below:

The President, the Government, and the state apparatus have focused their entire attention on combating Covid-19. The way in which the people have benefited from this is clearly apparent. Even in the midst of this national crisis and global disaster, we see the unpleasant sight of the political Opposition in this country vociferously demanding that the dissolved Parliament be reconvened and asserting that after 30 April, the President has no legal right to allocate funds for the maintenance of government services without the approval of the old Parliament. They have even issued a threat to the effect that unless Parliament is reconvened, the President and all of us in the Government run the risk of the loss of our civic rights and the confiscation of our property.

Parliament was dissolved at the beginning of March when there were no coronavirus patients in the country. After the first Coronavirus patient was found one-and-a-half weeks later, the Election Commission postponed the election till the 20 of June. The Election Commission has already announced that the election could be postponed further depending on the advice of the medical authorities. The Election Commission will hold the election at a suitable time in accordance with the powers vested in them. The Opposition’s concern obviously is that if the election is held in a situation where the anti-coronavirus campaign in Sri Lanka has shown much better results than in most other countries, they would be placed at a serious disadvantage. Hence, we see that the Opposition’s present efforts are aimed at getting the old Parliament reconvened and using their majority in Parliament to block government finances, thereby sabotaging the anti-coronavirus campaign in order to bring the Government into disrepute before the election.

Back in February, when there was no coronavirus threat in the country, the Opposition used their majority in Parliament to block payments to government suppliers of medicine and fertiliser so as to bring the new Government into disrepute by creating a shortage of fertiliser and medicine in the country.

The Opposition argues that Article 150 (3) of the Constitution allows the President to allocate funds for the running of government services at a time when Parliament has been dissolved only if the previous Parliament had not passed an appropriation act.

They claim that the previous Government had passed a Vote on Account up to 30 April and

that therefore, after this date, the President has no authority to allocate funds for any purpose.

This is an absurd argument. Under Article 150 (3) of the Constitution, the President has complete authority to allocate funds for any purpose for which funds had not been allocated by Parliament. It goes without saying that if Parliament has already allocated funds for a given purpose, there is no need for the President to intervene in the matter.

The Opposition also alleges that the President is not reconvening Parliament with the ulterior motive of misusing the funds coming in from abroad for the anti-coronavirus campaign. They contend that Parliament should be reconvened to supervise how that money is spent. All funds received by the Government go to the Treasury via the Central Bank system. There are procedures that have to be followed in spending this money. Funds in the Treasury cannot be spent in the manner that Yahapalana ministers spent the money of the Central Cultural Fund.

After the new parliament convenes, the Opposition will have the opportunity to raise questions about how government money was spent between the time of the dissolution of the old Parliament and the convening of the new parliament. Until then, they should refrain from misleading the public with blatant lies. At this moment, we should set politics aside and concentrate on controlling the coronavirus outbreak and restoring normalcy to the lives of the people. We all saw the magnitude of the coronavirus cluster that had formed among navy personnel due to their involvement in the anti-coronavirus campaign. I wish them all a speedy recovery. This highlights the personal risks taken in the service of the people by our health sector workers, and the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Police at the forefront of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic. I call upon all members of the public to extend their fullest co-operation to these heroic individuals to enable them to fulfil their duties effectively.

AG to...Public Administration Minister Janaka

Bandara Tennakoon, in a special Gazette Notification, had declared three days – 17, 18, and 19 March – special public holidays, to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19).

Meanwhile, a fundamental rights (FR) petition was filed by a former councillor in the Supreme Court last week, seeking an interim injunction against holding a general election amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The petition was filed by former Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Councillor Attorney-at-Law Charitha Gunaratne, stating the EC Chairman, Mahinda Deshapriya, and

its members, President’s Counsel (PC) N.J. Abeysekara, Prof. Hoole, President’s Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera, Director General of Health Services (DGHS) Dr. Anil Jasinghe, and the AG, as respondents.

The petitioner requests the Supreme Court to declare that the Gazette Notification issued by the EC announcing the general election on 20 June is unconstitutional, and invalidate the Gazette Notification.

Prof. Hoole noted that depending on the AG’s opinion, the preferential numbers would be issued, and the decision on holding the election on 20 June would depend on the Court’s decision.

The Commission is preparing for the election as usual, he said.

According to him, the next EC meeting is scheduled for 12 May.

– Maheesha Mudugamuwa

Only once...“Precautions need to be taken before

reopening universities. With the country still being under lockdown and travel between districts restricted, even if the universities reopen, we will face an issue of providing transport for the undergraduates and the staff to return to their accommodation,” FUTA Chairman Prof. B.M.H.S.K. Banneheke said.

Prof. Banneheke noted that the circular issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to phase out the reopening of universities was a commendable move. However, the dates that were set in the circular would be pushed back as logistical issues need to be addressed.

While the research teams were coming to the universities to continue their research work, for the moment, that group can be easily managed. But reopening at full capacity will be further delayed as the country needs to have a fully functional transport system and the hostels and accommodation facilities should be prepared to receive the university student population and academic and non-academic staff as well.

Prof. Banneheke also stated that the UGC is yet to have a discussion with the university administrations on how universities would commence operations.

The Government, last month, announced that the academic staff of universities would resume work today (4).

– Sarah Hannan

No private...LPBOA President Gemunu Wijeratne told

The Morning that if they have to follow the health instructions given by the Government pertaining to the operation of buses, they won’t be able to earn adequate income to provide even the minimum daily earnings required for the drivers or conductors.

He also noted that private bus operators had requested the Government to provide a fuel subsidy for private buses, but that Cabinet rejected the request.

Therefore, private buses will not be operational, until at least the end of May, he said.

– Agra Ranasinghe

Not re-infected: ...Dr. Jasinghe made this statement when The

Sunday Morning inquired about a 67-year-old person who recovered from Covid-19, tested positive for Covid-19 when he was admitted to the National Hospital of Sri Lanka (NHSL) following a heart attack on 30 April.

A resident from Ja-Ela, the person was admitted to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (IDH) on 17 March after contracting Covid-19 and was treated for a period of one month and discharged on 17 April.

The recovered person returned home and had observed a further 14 days of self-isolation as instructed by the hospital authorities. He experienced a heart attack on 30 April, following which he was admitted to NHSL.

During the admission process, he had alerted the hospital staff that he was a Covid-19

recoveree and presented the previous reports.“We subjected him to a PCR (polymerase

chain reaction) test and the test readings returned positive. We made arrangements to transfer him to IDH after that,” an NHSL spokesperson said.

Dr. Jasinghe explained: “The public should not be alarmed to hear that a Covid-19 recoveree tested positive. Even after a person recovers from the virus, there will be residual virus fragments. When a PCR test is conducted, it will not be able to distinguish between genetic material (RNA and DNA) from an infectious virus and the ‘dead’ virus fragments.”

The patient is at present admitted at IDH and will be placed under observation with different tests carried out to determine whether the virus remains inactive.

– Sarah Hannan

Akurana...Entry to and exit from these areas was

completely prohibited and the Army and Police were deployed to ensure citizens adhered to the restrictions.

Workers...He also noted that the postal workers’

decision to not return to work is not intended to inconvenience the public, but rather to ensure that they are not infected by Covid-19 and become carries of the virus, which would cause the virus to spread to other communities in the country.

Removed...On 17 March 2020, the CAA set an MRP

of Rs. 65 for a kilogramme of Mysore dhal, and Rs. 100 for a 425 g tin of canned fish as a relief measure for the public at the outset of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Responsibility...Responding to reports of private buses

not following social distancing protocols, Minister of Passenger Transport Mahinda Amaraweera said it was not the duty of the Central Government.

“It is up to the provincial councils to make sure that private transport vehicles are following the health guidelines issued by health authorities, including social distancing,” the Minister said.

He went on to say that state transport would not abdicate from sticking to health guidelines.

“State buses and the railway services are only allowed to transport essential service employees and are strictly following health and safety protocols,” he said.

1,500-1,800...Ministry of Health (MoH) Public Health

Services Deputy Director General Dr. Paba Palihawadana told The Morning that the increased number of tests, which is now 1,500-1,800, done daily would be more than enough to control the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Dr. Palihawadana also stated that around 25,000 tests have been conducted so far.

However, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) representative Dr. Samantha Ananda explained that if the health authorities are conducting 1,500-1,800 PCR tests, it could be considered a reasonable number to control the virus if it could in fact ensure the testing of all people in the quarantine centres and also people under home quarantine who are highly suspected of having contracted the virus.

This number is better than the low number of tests conducted before, he shared.

“It’s very important from an epidemiological point of view, to understand the extent of the spread of the disease. It’s good that the number of tests has been increased, but it should cover the needed areas if we really want to control the spread of the disease.”

Additionally, Dr. Ananda said that the recent

identification of clusters, such as that of Navy personnel and those from Bandaranayake Mawatha, would help prevent community spread of the pandemic.

Since the number of tests has been increased, the pandemic can be controlled with more confidence, and the health authorities should ensure that testing is done continuously. People have to follow the instructions of the health authorities as community distancing should be maintained as much as possible, said Dr. Ananda.

UNP to...“Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, in a

politically motivated move, decided to host a meeting of the former 225 members of the 2015 Parliament on Monday (4).

“While this meeting was not accepted as an alternative to the official reconvening of Parliament, the UNP decided to attend the meeting so as to once again reiterate the party’s official stance that politics must be put aside in the face of the growing national crisis caused by Covid-19.

“However, the party has since learnt that the invitation to this meeting has been extended to all former MPs and other active political leaders, including those from previous parliaments, thereby expanding the invitation from the original 225 MPs.

“The UNP is of the opinion that no meaningful dialogue can be held in this type of meeting. Instead, the Rajapaksa regime is focussed on playing party politics at a time when the nation needs unity in the leadership.

“The UNP stands ready to assist the Government in their efforts to eradicate the Covid-19 menace that has seen our country come to a standstill.”

The UNP further noted that in order to effectively do so, the Government must ensure that all measures taken are in line with the country’s Constitution.

Heat index...Similar conditions may be experienced in the

Puttalam, Mannar, and Jaffna Districts during the morning too.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damages caused by lightning activity and localised strong winds during thundershowers.

The low-pressure area developed over south Andaman Sea and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal Sea area is likely to develop further. The fishing and naval community therefore is requested to be vigilant when sailing in the deep-sea area.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in places in the sea area extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle, and Hambantota in the afternoon or night.

Wind activity is expected in the western and south-western sea area extending from Mannar to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle, and winds will move to the south-eastern area at a speed of 20-30 kmph.

Moreover, the sea area around the island can be slight to moderately rough, while temporarily strong gusty winds of a speed up to 70-80 kmph and rough seas can be expected during thundershowers.

The Heat Index Advisory issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre predicts that the heat index is expected to increase up to the “Danger” level, marking the index at 41-54 degrees Celsius at some places in the Puttalam, Anuradhapura, Mannar, Vavuniya, and Mullaitivu Districts; if exposed to the heat for a prolonged period, the public will experience heat cramps and heat exhaustion, and a heat stroke is probable with continued activity.

Meanwhile, the heat index will reach a reading of 32-41 degrees Celsius at the “Extreme Caution” level in some places in the Eastern, Western, Southern, and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and the Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa, Monaragala and Kilinochchi Districts, causing possible heat cramps and heat exhaustion, while continuing activity could result in heat stroke.

The Commercial Bank of Ceylon has launched a new platform branded ComBank Simple Pay for the first time in Sri Lanka to help the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector with e-commerce.

This product is the Sri Lankan version of the Mastercard product “Simplified Commerce”, which was launched by the bank for the first time in South Asia.

Commercial Bank stated that this platform will help entrepreneurs create their own online store without spending large sums on web development and design. It enables them to sell products, accept electronic payments, and significantly enhance their business opportunities.

Salient features of ComBank Simple Pay include e-invoices which allows businesses to send their customers branded invoices, setting up of recurring payments, and selling products and services directly through social media. The platform will enable the merchants to get paid securely and to receive an overview of all invoices, helping them keep track of outstanding invoices and to periodically send reminders.

It also supports accounting integration by enabling the downloading of data for a prescribed period which can be imported to accounting platforms. The availability of a payment dashboard facilitates the reviewing of the latest transaction status and an overview of the cash flow. The system is compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) certification as required by card schemes.

Commenting on the introduction of ComBank Simple Pay, Commercial Bank Chief Operating Officer Sanath Manatunge said: “As one of the biggest lenders to the SME sector, Commercial Bank

continuously explores ways of empowering local entrepreneurs. We believe ComBank Simple Pay will strengthen this relationship and help further enhance the contribution of SMEs to the economy.

“Many small businesses are deterred from e-commerce by a lack of knowhow and the cost of maintaining an online store,” Manatunge added.

“ComBank Simple Pay addresses both these concerns and is backed by the bank’s technical expertise and support, making it possible for even the smallest of businesses to take their offering online.”

ComBank Simple Pay can be accessed via iOS and Android mobile applications too. This allows merchants to accept payments on the go, send e-invoices, and monitor payment activity in real time. The system is optimised for mobile usage, allowing users to access it through smartphones.

As its name implies, ComBank Simple Pay simplifies the process of expanding a business to the web by providing an easy-to-use solution, enabling a single point of contact between SMEs and their customers, helping grow entrepreneurs’ business portfolios, and increasing customer retention and loyalty by enabling easy access. It also helps maintain market share by securing the company’s business position amidst competition while staying visible and easily available.

Besides enabling entrepreneurs to begin e-commerce without having written a single line of code, ComBank Simple Pay also enables SMEs to embark on social commerce by sharing and selling their products and services directly on social media. The online store can be updated by the merchant with new offerings as and when they become available.

Commercial Bank launches platform to help SMEs with e-commerce

businessthe morningMonday, May 4, 2020 3

Sri Lanka’s oil palm cultivators can provide tangible support to the Government’s efforts to promote local agriculture and import substitution as a response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the national economy, the sector’s apex association has said.

In a statement, the Palm Oil Industry Association (POIA), which represents cultivators as well as refiners, processors, manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of palm oil and other products of the oil palm, said the local industry could help mitigate the effects on multiple sectors, of the increase in the special commodity levy on imported palm oil.

Sri Lanka already has 9,000 hectares of oil palm, cultivated under highly regulated conditions, to ensure the industry is environmentally non-invasive. Plantation companies have been mandated to increase

the country’s total area of oil palm to 20,000 hectares under strictly enforced guidelines, the Association pointed out.

However, the “baseless vilification” of the local palm oil industry by “elements with vested interests” had seriously delayed the government-approved expansion of cultivation, leading to the country producing just 23,000 tonnes of palm oil per annum and the import of a staggering 240,000 tonnes of crude palm oil into the country each year, the POIA said.

“Numerous sectors such as confectionery manufacturers have already expressed concern on the increase in their costs of production as a result of the imposition of the special commodity levy on imported palm oil,” POIA President Dr. Rohan Fernando said. “Confectionary manufacturers, for example, have

said they would start making losses of Rs. 100 million per month as a result of the higher cost of imported palm oil. “While we understand and appreciate the factors that have necessitated the imposition of the levy, we feel this is an opportune moment for the Government to support the local palm oil industry, especially since it can contribute

significantly to the Government’s drive to promote domestic production and self-sufficiency as a long-term goal. Oil palm cultivation is already helping save valuable foreign exchange by reducing (palm oil) imports at a time the country is trying to conserve foreign currency, and has the potential to help Sri Lanka conserve even more foreign

exchange in the years ahead.”Dr. Fernando conceded that the

local palm oil industry would not be in a position to supply all of Sri Lanka’s palm oil requirements for several years, but emphasised that allowing the industry to proceed with investments in the pipeline would enable a foundation to be laid for substantial import substitution in the medium term.

The palm oil industry currently employs about 13,000 people in cultivation, refining, and production. The plantation companies had implemented all health and safety measures recommended for workers in oil palm plantations and ensured that the estates resumed work within days of the declaration of a countrywide curfew in March this year, conscious of the importance of keeping production going, Dr. Fernando disclosed.

He added: “It is absurd that activists and lobbyists with vested interests who have been campaigning against oil palm on the basis of events that took place decades ago in some other parts of the world, ignore the fact that it has taken 50 years for Sri Lanka to cultivate 9,000 hectares of oil palm, and that even after oil palm cultivation ultimately reaches the Government-mandated 20,000 hectares, the crop would account for only 2.5% of the extent under tea, rubber, and coconut.

“They also ignore the fact that the Government’s decision to encourage cultivation of oil palm is backed by comprehensive conditions and guidelines that ensure there will be no environmental degradation, no deforestation, and no replacement of other viable crops,” Dr. Fernando said.

Palm oil industry supports Govt.’s domestic agriculture drive

As the first stage of the recently pledged Rs. 200 million towards urgently required ICU (intensive care unit) capacity development in hospitals selected by the Ministry of Health (MoH), Dialog Axiata PLC commenced immediate civil reconstruction for the expansion and provision of equipment to establish a fully functional ICU at the Negombo District General Hospital.

This initiative is expected to further support healthcare providers with their lifesaving activities and significantly increase accessibility to intensive care for the general public; this would not only enable the treatment of Covid-19 patients but will also continue to support all other patients in need of critical care in the long term.

The civil reconstruction and ICU development being conducted at the hospital through Dialog Axiata’s funding will establish a fully fledged ICU complex with a Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU), Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU), and increase the capacity from four beds to 10 beds, complete with state-of-the-art ICU equipment.

The restoration of the hospital’s ICU facility by Dialog Axiata will further enable training of postgraduate doctors in intensive care, lessen the pressure on medical staff treating patients with acute illnesses, and will also act as a catalyst to improve healthcare systems in the district to provide a higher chance of survival of admitted critical patients in the long run.

Negombo District General Hospital Director Dr. Nihal Weerasuriya said: “The Negombo District General Hospital has been designated as a specialist hospital by the Ministry of Health to combat Covid-19. This hospital is doing a great service right now towards its patients in this Covid-19 high-risk area. However, the ICU is currently housed in a small four-bed area. I am grateful and thankful for this noble work that

Dialog has undertaken in partnership with the Ministry of Health to restore the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. I believe we will do an even greater service to our people in the long term with this immediate renovation and expansion, and upgrading the ICU.”

Negombo District General Hospital consultant paediatrician Dr. Lakkumar Fernando said: “An ICU is a direct lifesaving centre. When someone has trouble breathing or has heart failure or a similar critical life-threatening issue, an ICU and specialised equipment, such as artificial respiratory equipment, are needed to keep the patient alive until the body is restored with other medicine. We are making a big difference in the lives of people with the ICU, and for that we are grateful to Dialog for augmenting our critical care facilities

and enabling us to do more and save more lives in the process.”

Commenting, Dialog Axiata PLC Group Chief Executive Supun Weerasinghe said: “With the increasing requirement to expand the intensive care capabilities and healthcare systems in the country, we pledged Rs. 200 million towards urgently required ICU capacity development in hospitals selected by the MoH, and as a first step, we are pleased to commence immediate civil reconstruction of the ICU facilities at the Negombo District General Hospital to support healthcare providers in their direct lifesaving activities and considerably increase accessibility to critical care, for not only Covid-19-related treatment but also all other patients that require intensive care in the long term.”

Dialog begins ICU development at Negombo General Hospital

BY UWIN LUGODA

Shangri-La’s senior management in Sri Lanka is taking voluntary pay cuts to minimise the financial impact on lower earning employees in their properties during the Covid-19 crisis.

This was revealed by Shangri-La Colombo General Manager Timothy Wright during a webinar conducted by the Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance on how to survive and thrive post Covid-19.

Wright explained that in parallel to these pay cuts, Shangri-La is also looking at other ways the senior management and staff could

contribute to support these lower earners and their families.

“Managing the payroll is really going to be the big challenge. None of us know when or how long this is going to last or how long we can continue to support the labour force that we have.”

He stated that they are concerned that the drop in service

charge is going to impact their lower earners the most.

“We have 1,600 employees in Sri Lanka and I would imagine that at least 50-60% are getting very close to the point where they are having difficulty sustaining and supporting their families.”

During the forum which was held on 30 April, Wright also stated that the hotel would be overmanned once the coronavirus pandemic ends. He explained that once the crisis ends, they may need to look at reassigning its workforce in order to fit the new norms.

“We have far too many employees than we actually need to operate after Covid-19, so we may need to look at reassigning them to adjust our systems to adapt to the new norm.”

Shangri-La is one of the biggest international hotel chains operating in Sri Lanka, with the Colombo property housing 500 rooms and suites and 41 service apartments. The Hambantota property spans 58 hectares, making it the largest resort in Sri Lanka, and has 274 rooms. Shangri-La is also the owner of One Galle Face, the country’s biggest mall.

Shangri-La’s Sri Lankan management on pay cuts Shangri-La Colombo General

Manager Timothy Wright

the morningMonday, May 4, 2020

4

brunch

Galle Fort is almost

unrecognisableTransforming almost into a

ghost town, the charms of Fort, of which the bustling cobblestoned streets were once swarming with tourists

and endless liveliness, are no more, with a lot of what makes Galle Fort what it is having to go underground due to the very necessary but unfortunate Government-imposed curfew.

While Galle boasts beautiful remnants of colonial architecture, rich

cultural heritage, and ideal sunset locations, Galle Fort is primarily a business centre – a gigantic shopping precinct with back to back restaurants, novelty stores, hotels, and BnB (bed and breakfast) joints.

However, businesses of any kind have had to almost entirely halt operations considering the worldwide shutdown of most travel and the

need for social distancing.

Painting us the picture We spoke to some of the

business owners of the Galle Fort and adjacent areas to paint a picture for us

of what our beloved Galle Fort looks like now.

Celebrity chef Dharshan Munidasa and Nihonbashi Restaurants (Pvt.) Ltd. Managing Director Nayana Ellepola shared their understanding of what business down south looks like at present. Nihonbashi Restaurants also manages The Tuna and The Crab in Galle.

According to them, most businesses in Galle including their own are 99% tourist-based; many are upmarket establishments which have all come to standstill during this difficult time.

They said there are no “maybes” about it; all business operations are closed

down, with just some establishments making attempts to carry out take-away services at

the very least, which will show one or two restaurants having opened for that purpose.

They shared that Galle Fort, being a tourist-driven market, would have to halt at least for the short term from the looks of it.

According to both Munidasa and Ellepola, Galle is essentially reliant on two types of

markets: One is the tourists coming from abroad and the other is local tourists coming from Colombo on weekends to enjoy a change of scenery. They said that if reviving from the Easter Sunday attacks was difficult, where one of the two markets remained available to some extent, things are very much different now.

We also spoke to Wijaya Beach Owner Mahendra Wijesena. Wijaya Beach is a family-owned business

that has become one of the best-loved establishments down South for their

popularity with the local expat community. Wijesena shared that while they are ready to

work as soon as possible, they have accepted

the unfortunate reality of the situation. He believes that there would be no business, let alone any profits, for at least six months to a year’s time.

He said that while nobody has any real clue of what would happen, and even if the curfew is lifted, it is likely that people would want to stay inside while the Government too may advise it particularly when it comes to Galle as there haven’t been any Covid-19 cases.

His personal opinion is that while it would be difficult, even when the avenues open up for those from Colombo to make their way around the island, it would be preferable if they act responsibly and not take chances of carrying the virus further than it has.

A ghost town, but making the best of it While Galle has transformed itself into a ghost

town, its residents are attempting to make the best out of a bad situation; like Munidasa mentioned, delivery and take-away services seem to be the only thing restaurateurs can do until things take a change for the better.

We spoke to Hoppa Galle Fort Manager E.S.S.R. Krishanthi also shared that they are trying out the delivery service just to see how it goes. She said that unsurprisingly there is not a lot of business – almost none.

Until recently, there had been some foreigners who were stranded here during the travel ban. Krishanthi said they saw who walked around and went to the beach whenever curfew was lifted. However, many of them had been Russians, and there was a charter flight that was sent from Russia to most of them back to their country.

She also shared that there are others who are attempting to integrate themselves into the community the best they could, especially those who had decided to stay in rooms and therefore are required to go out and explore the city for meals and such.

As for the future, she said all they can really hope to do is target locals, and once curfew is lifted and it is declared safe to travel, locals who have been stuck inside their homes for two months can come to Galle and experience a change of pace.

Movement has been zero Speaking to Fort Bazaar Manager Asanka

Lokuge, he shared that the reality of Galle Fort is that during curfew times, due to the double barriers set up in Galle Fort, there has been nobody coming in or going out and so movement in Galle Fort has been zero.

“The area that Fort Bazaar is in, when usually there would be a swarm of people just shoulder to shoulder, we see about 10 to 15 people biking around,” shared Lokuge. The thing with Galle Fort is that there isn’t an off season; there are lots of things on offer that there’s something for anyone all year round, especially for budget travellers and backpackers who are just passing through.

“We also started up food delivery. We acquired some special curfew passes from the Police and since we have been

getting five to six orders a day as we shared our menus with our contacts and regular

customers, which is not nearly enough but has been something,” he said.

He said they take the strictest precautions and since the delivery service has been a go, they have also opened up the venue’s veranda for any stragglers who are walking around to relax. He said they have made sure to keep one metre distance between the tables and all safety precautions like masks and sanitizer will be provided. Since they opened the space up, one or two guests have come in to just spend the day by themselves. Lokuge said that while things look quite bleak, they are hopeful, adding that with time things will start to pick up.

Going online While Galle may be most well known for the

many boutique restaurants, there’s also a number of retail stores and novelty item shops scattered around. One such retail store is Karma Collection, a boutique featuring fashion, art, and homeware, with its prime location sandwiched between the mosque and the lighthouse, so you can’t miss it.

We spoke to Karma Collection Founder Tivon Prasad who also echoed the many woes expressed by nearly all the businessowners in Galle we have since spoken to, saying: “Things are looking quite bad.”

However, Prasad was of the view that while regaining the status quo may be too far down the line, he has decided to set his sight on other opportunities. He said the only way to get through this is with a positive outlook, and what he has done is look to the online market to strengthen the store’s online presence.

He said that if we are being hopeful, this will all continue till about the end of the year and even still we cannot be certain of how soon things would pick up. Therefore, instead of dwelling on the things he cannot change, he has registered on Amazon and similar delivery services to market his products.

Prasad shared that there has been a number of foreigners who were stuck here due to the travel bans in their specific countries, who have made attempts to be friendly with the locals; some of those people have helped him set up his online presence with many of them saying they need a project of sorts to keep them occupied during the day.

It is understood that not all businesses have the privilege of changing their target audience as simply as Prasad, considering what they are selling. However, his outlook seems to be the best one could hope for during times of crisis.

General uncertainty As many of the businessowners we spoke to

have mentioned a general settling of uncertainty and confusion, with many of them starting things off with “we have no clue”, nobody truly knows what will happen and there isn’t a lot of precedent as to how we should carry out our consumer-driven society at a time like this, particularly during the hopefully brief adjustment period once it is declared safe to step outside.

To anyone else who has been wondering what it’s like everywhere else, the picture is not that much different from your view when you peak outside. We are dealing with somewhat similar concerns, and the bets that we can do is hope for the best.

Once swarming with tourists, now a ghost town

Fort Bazaar Manager Asanka Lokuge

Hoppa Galle Fort Manager E.S.S.R. Krishanthi

Wijaya Beach Owner Mahendra Wijesena

Karma Collection Founder Tivon Prasad

BY DIMITHRI WIJESINGHE

Galle Fort, one of Sri Lanka’s most popular tourist destinations and every drone

owner’s dream location, has unsurprisingly suffered greatly due to the

Covid-19 pandemic.

PHOTOS JANAKA DE SILVA

sportsthe morning

Monday, May 4, 2020

Sir Bill begins term two Sir Bill Beaumont who was re-elected as World Rugby Head on Saturday (2), vowed that he is “a good listener” and will seek to “reunite” rugby union. One of his biggest tasks will now be dealing with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought the sport to almost a complete halt.

German Bundesliga restartsThe German football league Bundesliga will resume this month, said the club’s Sporting Director Simon Rolfes yesterday (3). “The most important thing was we got good feedback from politicians for our concepts for games without spectators,” Rolfes told media, and the German Government is going to take its final decision on the league’s restart on Wednesday, 6 May.

Gayle allegations ‘scandalous’: Sarwan Calling the “you’re-a-snake” allegation levelled against him by Chris Gayle “scandalous”, Jamaica Tallawahs Assi. Coach Ramnaresh Sarwan yesterday (3) denied he had any role in the release of Gayle by the franchise for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League.

The recent offering of TV production rights of international matches played by the Sri Lanka Cricket team in the country during the next three-year period is likely to be challenged in court, The Morning Sports learnt yesterday (3).

“If the SLC (Sri Lanka Cricket) administrators continue to flaunt established principles of transparency and financial integrity, given the nature of its offering of the television production rights to (a tv production company named) IPG which has a background of felonious nature, there is a possibility that the transaction will be challenged in court,” a source who is in the know of the said SLC rights deal told The

Morning Sports yesterday, on

condition of anonymity.SLC sold television production

rights of the beleaguered Sri Lankan team to the Dubai-based company named IPG, which has “a cloudy track record” and “absolutely no financial standing”, the Sri Lankan media reported on more than several occasions last month.

A dubious deal“The owner of the tenderer has

once been arrested by the Dubai

Police for monetary wrongdoings. The SLC has had zero application of basic financial prequalification criteria in the selection process. That too has happened while they (SLC) were knowing very well that IPG owes millions of dollars to vendors and many other service providers. This indicated nothing but financial mismanagement probably for gaining personal monetary benefits,” the source argued.

Request for re-tenderThe intentions of any possible

legal action could be driven by the need to re-tender the production deal, he speculated.

“Yes, the three-year production

tender has been based on a certain FTP (Future Tours Programme) which doesn’t exist any longer. There will be substantial changes to that FTP due to the ongoing pandemic. Doesn’t the present scenario beg the question that there should be a re-tender? For instance, how are they going to price out the rescheduled England cricket series (postponed in March) which was not included in the original tender document?” he asked.

“This may lead to nothing but further erosion of SLC’s image and strong speculation that someone might have gained undue financial benefits from those deals,” the source further added.

SLC sued over TV rights deal

zSLC’s TV production rights deal for 2020-23 likely to be challenged in court

Discussions around rescheduling West Indies’ tour of England have included the possibility of the visitors going into isolation for as long as 14 days.

The three-Test series was due to begin in June, but the shutdown of cricket in England and Wales has been extended until at least 1 July. The earliest date the first Test could begin is thought to be 8 July.

If the Windies are in isolation, they are likely to have access to practice facilities at a locked-down venue.

Leaving mid-June BBC said yesterday (3) the

Windies’ planning involves leaving the Caribbean in mid-

June, allowing enough time for any period of isolation, followed by practice matches.

The length of the isolation is another part of the discussions, with 14 days one of the options.

As it stands, there are no restrictions placed on overseas travellers arriving in the UK.

Screening foreigners However, UK Transport

Secretary Grant Shapps has told the BBC yesterday that plans for screening and quarantining people coming from abroad were “a serious point under consideration”.

On Saturday (2), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said “positive” discussions had been held with Cricket West Indies over a

revised schedule for the tour.

Behind closed doors Any cricket that does take

place this summer is likely to be behind closed doors, perhaps in a “biosecure” environment.

Even then, the staging of matches and the ability of overseas teams to play in the UK will be determined by government guidelines.

Rescheduling Australia, Pakistan, and

Ireland are also due to tour England this summer.

The ECB has previously stated it is looking at rescheduling the international calendar for the period between July and the end of September.

From left: England Captain Joe Root and West Indies Captain Jason Holder

West Indies to be ‘quarantined’ in England

A quick look at international cricket’s governing body and the forthcoming election of its Chairman.

Having a great, proud history, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is criticised during the last six years, for being a tool of the Big Three; the national cricket boards of Australia, England, and India.

y The ICC was founded on 15 June 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference. It was renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965. It was in 1989 that this body was named the ICC

y The ICC’s membership is 104 countries (12 full or Test members, and 92 associate members). Its headquarters is in Dubai, UAE. Its annual revenue is approximately $ 53 million (as in 2018)

y The ICC does not make or alter the laws of the game, which have remained under the governance of the Marylebone Cricket Club since 1788

y The post of Chairman of the ICC was established in 2014 after a revamp of its

management structure y The President of the ICC, who previously headed the ICC Council, now heads its Board of 15 directors and largely an honorary position

y The last ICC President was Zaheer Abbas, who was appointed in June 2015

y The changes to the ICC Constitution in 2014 handed its control to the so-called Big Three – Australia, England, and India

y In 2014, former Indian cricket board, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Narayanaswamy Srinivasan became the first Chairman of the ICC

y Srinivasan, 75, is an Indian industrialist and cricket administrator who is also MD of India Cements Ltd.

y Srinivasan was investigated in several scams, including one involving betting on the Indian Premier League (IPL) where his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan has been indicted for passing inside information to bookies

y ICC’s rules allow a chairman to serve a maximum of three two-year terms if he or she is re-elected every two years

y The present ICC Chairman is India’s Shashank Manohar, 62, who is a prominent Indian lawyer and a cricket administrator who was elected to the position after Srinivasan in November 2015

y The post of ICC President was abolished in April 2016 and Manohar, who replaced Srinivasan, became the first independent chairman of the ICC since then

y Manohar was BCCI’s President twice, between 2008-15. After Manohar’s first term at the BCCI in 2011, it was Srinivasan who became its President

y Manohar’s current (second) term as ICC Chairman ends in May 2020. Despite having the option of serving for another two years, Manohar has refused to do so

y Manohar rolled back the Big Three’s revamp, brought in a new financial distribution model, changed the governance structure of the ICC Board, and brought in an independent female director for the first time

y In the last two years, Manohar oversaw the ICC management’s plan to introduce the World Test Championship and the ODI League, to be launched from May 2020

y Majority of ICC directors are to decide the next ICC Chairman in June 2020

y As per the election rules, only a current or former ICC Director can contest for the Chairman’s position. Each director can nominate one candidate. Nominees with the support of at least two directors are eligible to contest the election

y Manohar’s successor will be known this month (May 2020)

I see ICC...!

Former BCCI President Narayanaswamy Srinivasan

ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar