EELAM NEWS: 300607
Govt. to celebrate liberation of East
By Kelum Bandara
By Kelum Bandara
The government said yesterday it would celebrate the liberation of the entire Eastern Province from the LTTE on a national basis.
Senior minister and SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena told journalists the security forces had inflicted the worst-ever defeats on the LTTE during the ongoing operations in the east.
Mr. Sirisena said the government would launch a programme to pay tribute to soldiers who sacrificed immensely to flush out terrorists and create normalcy in the area so that civilians could resume normal life. “The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is committed to wiping out terrorism in the country. Today, the LTTE has been weakened to a great extent,” the minister said.
The minister charged the UNP was trying to topple the government at this juncture directly and indirectly to the advantage of the Tigers.
“The UNP is trying to create a crisis in the country with the aim of gaining power in the future. There are both local and foreign elements behind this exercise which benefits the LTTE who fear the military will extend their operations to the north after liberating the east,” he said.
Commenting on former Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s move to join forces with the UNP, Mr. Sirisena said the Opposition had become ‘a bundle of contradictions’ today because of this situation.
He said his party would politically counter the UNP propaganda blitz against the government while launching a programme to reduce the cost of living.
Senior minister and SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sirisena told journalists the security forces had inflicted the worst-ever defeats on the LTTE during the ongoing operations in the east.
Mr. Sirisena said the government would launch a programme to pay tribute to soldiers who sacrificed immensely to flush out terrorists and create normalcy in the area so that civilians could resume normal life. “The government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa is committed to wiping out terrorism in the country. Today, the LTTE has been weakened to a great extent,” the minister said.
The minister charged the UNP was trying to topple the government at this juncture directly and indirectly to the advantage of the Tigers.
“The UNP is trying to create a crisis in the country with the aim of gaining power in the future. There are both local and foreign elements behind this exercise which benefits the LTTE who fear the military will extend their operations to the north after liberating the east,” he said.
Commenting on former Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s move to join forces with the UNP, Mr. Sirisena said the Opposition had become ‘a bundle of contradictions’ today because of this situation.
He said his party would politically counter the UNP propaganda blitz against the government while launching a programme to reduce the cost of living.
Fuel prices up again
The price of petrol was increased by Rs. 5, diesel by Rs. 4 and kerosene by Rs. 16 a litre from midnight yesterday.
The Ceylon Petroleum Corporation and Lanka Indian Oil Company said the decision to increase fuel prices had been taken due to rising crude oil prices in the world market.
According to the latest hike the new price of a litre of petrol would be Rs. 111, diesel Rs. 71 and kerosene Rs. 67.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremenayaka told the media,
the Cabinet Sub Committee on Cost of Living had directed the relevant authorities to decide on a price hike that would have the least impact on the public.
“Price of a crude oil barrel in the world market has doubled and its impact on the local market is unavoidable. Yet, we do not want to put the burden on public. We have recommended that prices should be increased without affecting the ongoing military operations or any of the development projects,” he said.
Petroleum Minister A.H.M. Fowzie said that the CPC was incurring a loss of Rs 3.5 billion a day now due to escalating oil prices in the world market.
However, the Prime Minister said electricity charges would not be increased.
Consumer Affairs Minister Bandula Gunawardena said changes in the prices of fuel, gas, fertilizer and chemical were beyond the control of the government as they were not produced locally.
“According to the Consumer Protection Authority Act, we are compelled to increase prices whenever the relevant companies make such requests. Gas companies have requested us to allow them an increase of Rs 174 but we hope to reach a compromise on a hike less than that,” he added.
CB optimistic of 7.5% growth
Agriculture revival critical for high forecast
By Sunimalee Dias
The Central Bank is cautiously optimistic of 7.5% growth for 2007 despite a depressing first quarter.
At the beginning of the year the Central Bank estimated a growth of 7.5% for the year with all sectors expected to contribute towards such growth.
It was believed that this rate could be “comfortably” achieved, only if the high growth momentum in the services and industry sectors in the previous two years could be maintained.
However, it has been noted that the recovery in the agriculture sector is “critical” to realize the original growth estimates this points to uncertainty in achieving the set targets by the Central Bank.
“The agriculture sector was unable to record a growth during the quarter as a result of the weak performance of tea and paddy, due to labour unrest in the last quarter of 2006 and unfavourable weather conditions. However, the industry sector grew at a faster rate of 7.0 per cent compared to 6.3 per cent in the same quarter in 2006, mainly due to increased performance in gem mining, food and beverage, and the apparel sectors. The services sector also recorded a healthy growth of 7.1 per cent over a growth of 8.0 per cent recorded last year. On that basis, the non-agriculture sector grew by 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2007,” the bank stated.
The first quarter growth figures indicate a healthy growth in the non- agriculture sector, which is encouraging. There is also potential for this non agriculture sector to improve over the succeeding quarters.
The agriculture sector too, has shown signs of recovery over the second quarter and such trend is expected to continue. Such recovery would be a critical factor in the original growth estimates being realized.
The escalation of oil prices from the second quarter onwards will undoubtedly be a major challenge to the growth momentum.
However, the expected return to normalcy in the Eastern Province shortly could be a platform which could provide a new impetus to growth, especially in the areas of fisheries, animal husbandry, mineral sands and reconstruction activities. The Central Bank will closely monitor the growth figures and trends in the second and third quarters in order to critically review the possible achievement of the projected growth targets, in the light of these new developments.
Officially, the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) is the agency responsible for the compilation and dissemination of National Income Accounts. However, in the past, both the DCS and the Central Bank have been compiling and disseminating national income statistics. This duplication of effort has often caused some confusion in the minds of the public.
Hence, in order to avoid duplication and confusion, the Central Bank has decided to use the statistics compiled by the DCS in the future, while continuing to compile forecasts of GDP and its growth rate, for the purpose of macroeconomic management. Such a practice would be consistent with that adopted in the compilation and forecasting of the general price level and inflation, where too, the DCS compiles the actual price level and inflation, while the Central Bank forecasts inflation for monetary policy purposes.
At the beginning of the year the Central Bank estimated a growth of 7.5% for the year with all sectors expected to contribute towards such growth.
It was believed that this rate could be “comfortably” achieved, only if the high growth momentum in the services and industry sectors in the previous two years could be maintained.
However, it has been noted that the recovery in the agriculture sector is “critical” to realize the original growth estimates this points to uncertainty in achieving the set targets by the Central Bank.
“The agriculture sector was unable to record a growth during the quarter as a result of the weak performance of tea and paddy, due to labour unrest in the last quarter of 2006 and unfavourable weather conditions. However, the industry sector grew at a faster rate of 7.0 per cent compared to 6.3 per cent in the same quarter in 2006, mainly due to increased performance in gem mining, food and beverage, and the apparel sectors. The services sector also recorded a healthy growth of 7.1 per cent over a growth of 8.0 per cent recorded last year. On that basis, the non-agriculture sector grew by 7 per cent in the first quarter of 2007,” the bank stated.
The first quarter growth figures indicate a healthy growth in the non- agriculture sector, which is encouraging. There is also potential for this non agriculture sector to improve over the succeeding quarters.
The agriculture sector too, has shown signs of recovery over the second quarter and such trend is expected to continue. Such recovery would be a critical factor in the original growth estimates being realized.
The escalation of oil prices from the second quarter onwards will undoubtedly be a major challenge to the growth momentum.
However, the expected return to normalcy in the Eastern Province shortly could be a platform which could provide a new impetus to growth, especially in the areas of fisheries, animal husbandry, mineral sands and reconstruction activities. The Central Bank will closely monitor the growth figures and trends in the second and third quarters in order to critically review the possible achievement of the projected growth targets, in the light of these new developments.
Officially, the Department of Census and Statistics (DCS) is the agency responsible for the compilation and dissemination of National Income Accounts. However, in the past, both the DCS and the Central Bank have been compiling and disseminating national income statistics. This duplication of effort has often caused some confusion in the minds of the public.
Hence, in order to avoid duplication and confusion, the Central Bank has decided to use the statistics compiled by the DCS in the future, while continuing to compile forecasts of GDP and its growth rate, for the purpose of macroeconomic management. Such a practice would be consistent with that adopted in the compilation and forecasting of the general price level and inflation, where too, the DCS compiles the actual price level and inflation, while the Central Bank forecasts inflation for monetary policy purposes.
Sinhala IDPs in northeast Sri Lanka reluctant to return home
Friday, June 29, 2007, 14:09 GMT, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
June 29, Colombo: The internally displaced Sinhalese people from Welioya who were residing in the Alikimbulagala school premises in Padavi-Parakramapura have decided reluctantly to return to the Athawetunaweva village.
When the Tamil Tigers fired mortars to the Athawetunaweva village in the Welioya Defense Colony on 31st May, 1,118 individuals belonged to 310 families of the village fled the Sinhala border village in the North Eastern Sri Lanka. Over half of the IDPs had returned to the village now and the rest have decided to return although they were not satisfied over the security provided to them.
Some IDPs said that they were returning due to the lack of facilities in the school premises they were temporarily sheltered. They were removed from school buildings and provided temporary shelters in the school premises few weeks back when the school was reopened.
The IDPs said they lack sanitary facilities as well as cooked food also. The Divisional Secretary of Padaviya said to media that dry rations are provided to the IDPs and they are returning home voluntarily.
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