Former Minister representing the Galle District, Ramesh Pathirana, has rejoined the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), being appointed as the organizer for the Benthara–Elpitiya electorate. 

He received his letter of appointment today (22 Jan) from SLPP National Organizer Namal Rajapaksa at the party headquarters located in Battaramulla. 

In addition, Ramesh Pathirana has also been appointed as the convener of the SLPP Health Professionals’ Association.

Alongside him today, a group of former local government chairmen and members from the Galle District also joined the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna.

Ramesh Pathirana had extended his support to former President Ranil Wickremesinghe during the last presidential election. (Newswire)

The post Ramesh Pathirana rejoins SLPP appeared first on Newswire.

State Minister of Finance Shehan Semasinghe says discussions will be held today to find solutions to the concerns raised by healthcare workers. 

The State Minister announced that discussions will be held today with Minister of Health Ramesh Pathirane in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Tri-Forces have been deployed at several state hospitals to assist with hospital operations. 

The Tri-Forces have been mobilized at the hospitals due to the islandwide token strike launched by healthcare sector employees.

The healthcare workers from 72 trade unions, excluding doctors, launched the 24-hour strike at 06.30 am today.

The strike has been launched demanding that the Rs. 35,000 Disturbance, Availability & Transport (DAT) allowance provided only for doctors be granted to them as well. 

It is reported that Health Minister Ramesh Pathirane has invited the trade unions engaged in the token strike for a discussion today. 

The healthcare workers’ Trade Unions have warned that they will launch an indefinite strike action if the authorities exert undue influence. (NewsWire)

The post Major Healthcare Workers Strike : New update appeared first on Newswire.

Minister of Health Dr. Ramesh Pathirane has issued directives to recommence operations at closed hospitals and hospitals that are facing closure.

The directives have been issued to Health Ministry officials, instructing them to take all necessary actions in this regard.

According to a Health Ministry statement, the measure was taken following a discussion with representatives of the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) today (Nov 27).

During the discussion, it was reported that 40 state hospitals across Sri Lanka have been currently closed, while 100 state hospitals are heading towards closure.

The Health Minister also informed to appoint a special committee headed by the Director General of Health Services and consisting of members from the GMOA to look into the necessary measures to address the issues surrounding the state hospitals.

It was also reported that hospitals in the Nothern Province, and the Puttalam and Nuwara Eliya Districts are heading towards closure due to the shortage of doctors.

The Health Minister also assured to work together with the trade unions and experts in the Health Sector to resolve the crisis within the sector. (NewsWire)

The post 40 hospitals closed & 100 heading towards closure appeared first on Newswire.

‘Industry TV’, Sri Lanka’s first electronic television channel for the industry sector, has been launched under a joint project by the Industry Ministry and the Industrial Development Board.

The channel was launched under the patronage of Minister of Industry and Health Dr. Ramesh Pathirana and State Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development Prasanna Ranaweera yesterday, to coincide with World Television Day.

The new channel, which aims to build an export-oriented manufacturing economy in the country, will be broadcast on Peo TV No. 130 and will operate under the theme ‘Your Winning Line’.

The introductory broadcast will run from November 21 to November 30, and from December 1, while 40 different types of programs will be broadcast on Industry TV channel.

The programs include Industry News, Industry Talks, Work Spaces, Plus Mind, Help Desk, Entrepreneurship King Children, Industrial Zone, Money Talk, I Book, Brands, Investor Pool, Metal World, Tea Life, Plantation World, Travel Bazar, Business Shakthi, Business Clinic, Industry Frame etc. (NewsWire)

The post New Television channel launched for Industry Sector appeared first on Newswire.

Minister of Health Ramesh Pathirane has issued new directives to Health Sector officials on the purchase of medicines. 

Instructions have been issued to bring only registered medicines into Sri Lanka and in the event of no registered medicines, to check the necessary data on the said drugs and purchase them with the approval of the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA).

The directive was issued to officials from the NMRA, State Pharmaceuticals Corporation, State Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Corporation, and Institutes of Medical Supply Division during a discussion with senior officials of the Ministry of Health today (Nov 01).

Health Minister Ramesh Pathirane warned that if someone acts outside of the above system, necessary measures will be taken against them. 

Officials were informed to suspend the purchase of drugs under emergency purchases and to arrange for the delivery of drugs that are in short supply as soon as possible through the prescribed method.

The Minister of Health further informed the relevant officials to pay attention to the essential drugs used for cancer, kidney diseases, etc., to maintain these drugs without shortage, and to constantly pay attention to all necessary drugs. (NewsWire)

The post Medicine purchase: New decision from new Health Minister appeared first on Newswire.

The second Coconut Triangle would be launched in the Northern Province this year consisting of the areas of Jaffna, Mannar and Mulaitvu Districts, Minister of Plantation Industries and Minister of Industries Dr. Ramesh Pathirana stated.

Minister Pathirana stated that the second Coconut Triangle would be launched in conjunction with World Coconut Day marked on September 2.

The Minister further stated that additionally, 290 million kg of tea are planned to be exported this year.

The Minister emphasized that Sri Lankan tea’s price per kilo on the international tea market is stable and that in order to maintain it, Sri Lankan tea’s quality must be preserved.

He expressed these views during a press conference themed ‘One Year of Progress’ held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) yesterday (Aug 02).

“Due to the fertilizer problem, exports from the plantation industry decreased last year. The fertilizer crisis and bad weather affected the plantation industry greatly. A bundle of 50 kilograms of urea went up to Rs. 30,000, last year. As of today, the government has worked to bring down the price of a 50 kg bundle of urea to Rs. 9000. By the end of this year, 300 million kilos of tea are expected to be exportable under these circumstances.

The sale of tea to the global tea market through the online system has already commenced. We will export tea worth 500 million USD to Iran in place of the fuel we received. It is anticipated to revive the Iranian tea industry through this strategy.

Their capacity to obtain tea is declining as a result of the conflict situation in nations like Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine, Iran, and Iraq, which are consumers of tea in Sri Lanka. Although the price of Sri Lankan tea is consistent on the global market, the enthusiasm of the tea-consuming nations is dwindling,” he said.

He further stated; “Cabinet approval has now been received to provide a portion of 10 perches of land to the tea plantation workers. Accordingly, the relevant land ownership is to be given to them in the future. After that, they have been given the opportunity to get credit facilities to build the houses they need.

In the last two years, it was possible to get an income of Rs. 1 billion from the export of rubber products. Due to the ability to purchase rubber for the manufacture of gloves during the last corona pandemic, it was possible to generate a sizable export income. But the demand for rubber goods is presently declining as a result of the global economic crisis. Therefore, it has been estimated that this year’s rubber-related export revenue will be around 900 million USD.”

Minister Ramesh Pathirane noted that additionally, coconut export revenue has significantly increased in recent years. “The range of goods that can be found in our coconuts has led to an increase in demand. This year, it is anticipated that exports of coconut-related goods will bring in 700 million USD.

It is anticipated that exports of goods related to coconuts would generate 2 billion USD in revenue during the next ten years. Thus, it is envisioned that Sri Lanka will develop a second coconut triangle. The Northern Province’s Jaffna, Mannar, and Mullaitivu regions will be included in this second coconut triangle. Local consumption accounts for two-thirds of coconut production. One-third is used for export. To increase export potential, this situation needs to be altered.”

He further stated that the GI certificate needed for cinnamon cultivation has finally been obtained. “It is possible to generate a sizable amount of cash from exports because only Sri Lanka and Madagascar produce the greatest cinnamon in the world. As a result, a formal program is being carried out as a ministry to encourage cinnamon cultivation.

The revival of coffee as a crop in Sri Lanka has received attention as it grows to be the most popular crop in the world. Despite the fact that Sri Lanka began cultivating coffee before tea, farmers were forced to abandon the crop due to a fungus-related illness. However, it has been proposed to increase coffee cultivation in Sri Lanka due to the substantial potential for the crop on the global market. As a result, plans have been made to begin a 1000-acre coffee plantation,” he added. (NewsWire)

The post Second Coconut Triangle to be launched soon in the Northern Province appeared first on Newswire.

Steps will be taken to establish an Agriculture and Plantation Research University by merging all institutions connected to the plantation industry and agriculture sector, Minister of Plantation Industries and Minister of Industries, Dr. Ramesh Pathirana stated. 

According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), the Minister stated that the measure is being taken as per President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s concept.

The fundamental draft related to this has already been prepared, the Minister noted, and it is intended to complete the basic work this year.

He expressed these views during a press conference themed ‘Collective Path to a Stable Country’ held at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) yesterday (July 24).

The full statement of Dr. Ramesh Pathirana;

A year ago, plantations and agricultural centers faced a severe crisis due to the shortage of fertilizers. Due to this, the tea industry and other plantations also suffered some collapse. Soon after taking office, President Ranil Wickremesinghe launched a program to provide fertilizers to the farmers.

Therefore, the farmers are getting the fertilizers they need in a systematic way. All the fertilizers required for tea, coconut, rubber and other crops are available in the market at competitive prices. Fertilizer prices, which have increased in the world market due to the war situation, are currently decreasing. As a country, the agricultural and plantation sectors are now showing some effectiveness due to the timely availability of fertilizer to the farmers.

251 million kilos of finished tea was produced in 2022. As a result, it is expected that 280 million kilograms of finished tea would be ready by the end of this year. Last year, the price of tea increased drastically due to the decrease in production. Currently, the rupee is strengthening, which has resulted in a fall in tea prices. Tea exports have been adversely impacted by global conditions, the Russian-Ukrainian war situation, and civil wars in countries like Iran, Libya, and Syria, which are our top buyers.

An agreement was recently signed to supply tea for nearly 500 million dollars worth of crude oil purchases from Iran. Accordingly, arrangements are made to provide tea according to the value of the relevant amount. Arrangements have also been made to re-export Sri Lankan tea to the Iranian market under the concept of ‘Tea for fuel’. Due to this, we will be able to re-export more tea to the Iranian market, which was lost to some extent in the past.

Also, it has been possible to get an income of nearly one billion dollars last year through the export of rubber. Its biggest value was 1.1 billion dollars in 2021. During Covid, rubber-related products received high demand in the world market. Sri Lanka is considered to be the hub among the main tyre-producing countries. It is believed that the export of rubber-related products will be able to reach between 900 million dollars and 1 billion dollars this year as well.

With the world economic deviation, the export of every product has experienced a decrease. Economists predict that normalcy will return after the third quarter. Due to this, it will be possible to reach the export targets of plantation crops again in the future.

In recent times, apart from tea and rubber, coconut-related products have seen the highest growth. Compared to 2020, the market has expanded by approximately 15%-20% in 2021 and 2022. Accordingly, in 2022, it was able to earn an export income of 836 million dollars. It can reach a value close to that this year as well. Within the next five years, there is a high probability of increasing the export income of coconut-related products to 1.5-2.00 billion dollars.

In order to improve the country’s coconut industry, a law will be brought in the near future that states that special permission must be obtained to divide coconut lands of more than one acre. For that, we hope to follow up again on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Additionally, the law requiring the authorization of the Divisional Secretariat and the Grama Niladhari shall be enforced if more than two coconut trees are to be cut down.

In addition, it is believed that nearly 400 million dollars will be earned this year by exporting cinnamon and other spices.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe presented a new proposal to establish an Agriculture and Plantation Research University in Sri Lanka by integrating all research institutes related to the plantation industry and agriculture. There are seven institutions related to the plantation industry in this country. Agricultural institutions are also to be integrated into this. The basic draft related to this has been prepared by now. This is a very complex project. But the basic work is expected to be completed this year.

However, through the available resources in the country, children are able to get better educational opportunities. Also, efforts are being made to focus on upgrading to university standards.

It is anticipated that the plantation industry’s backwardness will be reduced, allowing it to go forward more vigorously in the future. The government is prepared to offer the assistance required to expand the plantation industry’s value chains. It will step in as a Ministry in situations involving technological know-how and financial resources. (NewsWire)

The post Plans to establish an Agriculture & Plantation Research Uni in SL appeared first on Newswire.