<ul><li>Dep Min says regulations will be tightened gradually</li><li>Immediate enforcement could force some to close</li></ul> The Government cannot immediately enforce strict standards on private hospitals as this could result in many hospitals facing difficulties in continuing their operations and even being forced to close, Deputy Health Minister Dr Hansaka Wijemuni said.Responding to questions from The Daily Morning yesterday (30), he said the Government was planning to gradually strengthen the regulatory mechanism for the private health sector, with several regulatory measures expected to be introduced over the next few months.“There is a separate unit for monitoring private health services. There is a separate Director, a separate office and a separate staff. However, when looking from outside, it may appear that these services are not being properly monitored,” he said.Dr Wijemuni said both the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) and the Health Ministry were involved in regulating the private health sector. “The CAA also looks into these matters, while the Ministry also carries out regulation. The CAA can look into matters such as prices and outdated reagents, but it cannot look into everything,” he said.He acknowledged that there were shortcomings in standards in certain areas of the private health sector, but said the Government had to take into account the possible impact of immediately imposing stricter requirements. “If we try to strictly enforce some of these standards immediately, many hospitals would actually face difficulties in continuing their operations. Since there needs to be a private hospital sector, we are strict about some matters, while we expect to standardise some other matters gradually over time.”Dr Wijemuni said regulatory measures were already being implemented, although the Government was not yet moving towards major punitive action against private hospitals. “We are already implementing them, but we are not going towards the kind of major punishment that can be seen from outside,” he said.The Deputy Health Minister said one of the main issues affecting private hospitals was the lack of doctors employed on a permanent basis. “If we take a private hospital, ask how many doctors they have in their permanent cadre. They do not have that. What they do is pay doctors working in Government hospitals a small amount per hour and get them to work there after their duty hours,” he said.He said many private hospitals were therefore relying on doctors working in the Government health service. “If we introduce a law tomorrow saying that they must show the number of doctors and specialists they have and that they cannot continue without meeting that requirement, many of these hospitals would have to close. That is also a problem,” he said.However, Dr Wijemuni said the Government would introduce such requirements in the future as the number of doctors in the country increases. He said private hospitals would then have to recruit doctors by offering salaries closer to those paid in the Government health service.He also said the private health insurance sector had not developed sufficiently, with most insurance policies placing limits on the level of coverage provided to patients. “If we admit a patient to a private sector ICU, sometimes after two or three days the insurance company stops covering the bill. Then the patient is brought back to a Government hospital,” he said.Dr Wijemuni said the Government had prepared a specific programme with targets to develop the private health sector, noting that regulation, insurance and human resource management all had to be addressed together. “We cannot do all this at once within two years. We have prepared a specific programme with targets. Our hope is to put these things in place in the future. Regulation, insurance policies and how human resources are managed all have to be addressed together. We cannot develop the sector simply by introducing laws,” he said.

Govt wary of strict private hospital rules

<ul><li>437 vehicles deteriorated beyond use, costing revenue</li></ul> A large number of vehicles kept in Customs custody for as long as eight years have deteriorated to the point where most are no longer fit for use, according to the 2025 Annual Performance Report of Sri Lanka Customs.The report states that 329 vehicles held on land obtained from a private company in Mattakkuliya and another 108 vehicles kept at the Ruhunupura Port premises had been left parked in yards for prolonged periods, causing most of them to deteriorate and become unfit for operation. As a result, Customs is now unlikely to obtain a reasonable return even by auctioning the vehicles, the report states.The audit has attributed the situation to Customs' failure to take action in accordance with Section 109 of the Customs Ordinance. The prolonged retention of the vehicles had allowed them to deteriorate to such an extent that their value had been significantly reduced, resulting in further losses to the Government.The report has also found that Customs had cleared five imported vehicles after invoices were submitted showing values lower than the Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF) values recorded in the export Customs declarations. This resulted in the total value of the five vehicles being understated by Australian $97,510.According to the audit, when the CIF values recorded in the export Customs declarations were taken into account, approximately Rs. 16.2 million had not been included in the taxable base of the five vehicles. This had resulted in an estimated loss of Rs. 26.7 million in tax revenue to the Government.The audit further examined the prices at which four of the vehicle models most commonly imported into Sri Lanka had been sold at auctions in Japan. It found that, when prices at Japanese auctions held around the same period as the importation of a sample of vehicles in 2025 were compared, there were indications that importers had cleared the vehicles through Customs at lower declared values.The audit found that this had resulted in an estimated Rs. 88.76 million in tax revenue being lost to the Government in the clearance of 29 vehicles included in the sample examined.

Audit finds: Customs vehicles left to rot for eight years

<ul><li>Call for urgent nutrition programmes in drought-hit areas</li></ul>Children below five years of age and schoolchildren below 17 in areas affected by the severe drought linked to El Niño conditions could face a greater risk of malnutrition unless the Government makes advance preparations and provides the necessary social welfare support, Medical and Civil Rights Professional Association of Doctors (MCPA) President Dr Chamal Sanjeewa warned.Speaking to the media yesterday (30), he said reduced food production, lower harvests of quality food and a significant drop in farmers’ incomes in affected areas, coupled with rising expenditure, could make it more difficult for rural and semi-urban communities to obtain nutritious food.He said the resulting food shortages could further increase malnutrition among children living in these areas and called for programmes to provide nutritious food to children below five and schoolchildren below 17 who may be affected by the drought.Dr Sanjeeva further said the Government should pay particular attention to children under five, as the Thriposha programme was already not being implemented in many parts of the country.He also called on the Health Ministry to urgently introduce special nutrition programmes for pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and elderly people suffering from non-communicable diseases.A special health task force should also be established to prepare for the possible effects of El Niño, with dedicated funds allocated to strengthen the health system ahead of any deterioration in conditions, he said.Dr Sanjeeva said the Government had a responsibility to ensure that the health sector was adequately prepared to deal with the possible impact of El Niño, particularly in communities already facing food and income difficulties due to the drought.Several attempts to contact the Health Ministry Secretary and the Director General of Health Services for comment were unsuccessful at the time of going to press.

Doctors Warn: Drought could worsen child malnutrition

<ul><li>Says overseas promotions harder to monitor</li></ul> The National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol (NATA) is seeking the assistance of Meta to address tobacco promotions originating from outside Sri Lanka, it is learnt.&nbsp;Speaking to The Daily Morning, NATA Chairman Dr Ananda Rathnayake said the authority was able to monitor tobacco promotions originating within Sri Lanka through social media platforms, but faced difficulties when such promotions came from overseas. “We can monitor the promotions that happen from here via social media. But when the promotions happen from abroad, we find it a little difficult to monitor. We are planning to discuss with Meta as well to see what we can do,” he said.Asked whether existing laws allowed action to be taken against tobacco promotions carried out through social media, he said the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act contained provisions that allowed such action.He further said tobacco and alcohol use continued to have a significant impact on public health, estimating that around 60 people die each day in Sri Lanka due to the use of tobacco and alcohol. "Smoking also plays a significant role in the progression towards addiction to other substances. Around 90 per cent of people who become addicted to cannabis, heroin and other hard drugs begin that path through smoking."Dr Rathnayake added that the NATA is continuing to consider several measures as part of its longer-term objective of creating a tobacco-free generation. These include a possible ban on the sale of cigarettes individually, the introduction of plain packaging for cigarette packets and a review of the minimum legal age for the purchase and sale of cigarettes.

NATA seeks Meta help over tobacco promotions

<ul><li>Chairman says existing wells being rehabilitated</li></ul> In the wake of concerns raised by the Water Resources Board (WRB) over the environmental impact of large-scale groundwater extraction, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) stated it is carrying out groundwater extraction strictly within the limits set by the former. Speaking to The Daily Morning, NWSDB Chairman Chandana Bandara said groundwater extraction was being carried out in districts including Monaragala and Batticaloa to address local water shortages, while the NWSDB was mainly rehabilitating previously used groundwater sources instead of developing new ones. “We are given the limitations by the WRB as to the extent to which we can carry out extraction. Within those limitations, we are extracting water to facilitate the areas where extraction is taking place.”&nbsp;&nbsp; He said the NWSDB had commenced groundwater extraction in the Monaragala and Batticaloa districts, where several abandoned groundwater sources were available. “There are a few abandoned, previously used groundwater sources. What we are mainly doing is rehabilitating them. Several shallow wells that had previously been used by local communities but were later abandoned are being cleaned and restored for groundwater production. There are 64 tube wells in the Monaragala District that are being cleaned at the moment,” he said.Bandara further said the NWSDB was also taking into account concerns raised by the WRB about the possible long-term environmental damage caused by excessive groundwater extraction. He said the NWSDB was not extracting groundwater beyond the limits prescribed by the WRB. “It is only from Mannar that we did a large-scale extraction. Now we are given the limitation guidelines for that as well. It is only within those conditions that we extract groundwater,” he said.He added that he was also due to meet officials of the WRB today (31) to discuss whether any further conditions or adjustments would be required. “I will arrange a meeting with the WRB to seek whether there are further adjustments we need to adhere to in extracting water.”&nbsp;He also stressed that groundwater extracted in one area was not being transported to other parts of the country. “We do not distribute extracted water from one area to another. We do not even motorise these wells to extract water. It is only the hand-operated pumps that are used,” Bandara said.The NWSDB launched the groundwater extraction initiative in anticipation of drought conditions expected in connection with El Niño, with the aim of providing water to communities facing shortages. However, Assistant General Manager of the WRB Ruwan Rajapaksha has raised concerns over the possible environmental consequences of excessive groundwater extraction. He has said climate change is already contributing to declining groundwater levels and warned that unregulated extraction could cause significant environmental damage.

Groundwater Extraction: NWSDB vows to follow WRB guidelines

<ul><li>&nbsp;Nearly 30 petitions filed for and against Bill</li></ul> The deadline for filing petitions before the Supreme Court (SC) on the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution expires today (31), with nearly 30 petitions having already been filed both in support of and against the Bill.Justice and National Integration Minister, attorney Harshana Nanayakkara presented the 22nd Amendment Bill to Parliament on 18 August.&nbsp;Political parties representing the Opposition have filed petitions challenging the Bill, along with the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), several other lawyers' associations and civil society organisations.Several parties have also filed petitions in support of the Bill, including Government Parliamentarian Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi.Meanwhile, all parties that have filed petitions against the 22nd Amendment have decided to submit a special motion to the SC today. Former MP, Professor G.L. Peiris disclosed this at a convention of the Joint Opposition held in Galle. “The SC alone should not decide on this issue because the proposed amendment would directly benefit SC judges. We seek to have the matter referred to the people. The sovereignty of this country lies with the people. Therefore, hold a referendum. Ask the people whether the 22nd Amendment is needed or not. We will submit the related motion to the SC on Monday.”&nbsp;

22A petition window closes today 

<ul><li>Projects worth Rs 22.4 b underway across the country</li></ul> A total of 15,646 development projects have so far been launched across the country under the Praja Shakthi national programme to eradicate poverty, with their combined value estimated at Rs 22.425 billion, according to the Ministry of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment. The programme is being implemented jointly by the Rural Development Bureau and the Praja Shakthi National Secretariat under the Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment Ministry. The programme aims to implement at least one development project in every Grama Niladhari (GN) division.&nbsp; The Government has allocated Rs 25 billion for the programme through the 2026 Budget. Of the 15,646 projects launched so far, 8,323 projects, or 53.2 per cent, are livelihood development projects. The remaining 7,323 projects, or 46.8%, are focused on infrastructure development. A progress review of the Praja Shakthi projects being implemented in the Nuwara Eliya District was held at the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat auditorium under the chairmanship of the subject Minister, Dr. Upali Pannila. A total of 786 projects are expected to be implemented in the Nuwara Eliya District, with a combined estimated value of Rs 997.84 million.Of these, 263 are livelihood development projects, for which an estimated Rs 296.19 million has been allocated. A further 286 projects are infrastructure development projects, with an estimated allocation of Rs 543.22 million. The remaining projects fall under other development activities covered by the programme. The meeting was also informed that Rs 182.5 million had been allocated for 2026 to provide technical equipment and facilities to Praja Shakthi units established at District Secretariat and Divisional Secretariat levels as part of the national poverty eradication programme. Each unit has been allocated Rs 500,000 for these facilities. A further Rs 365 million had been allocated for the same purpose in 2025. The Minister instructed officials to accelerate all development projects and complete them as soon as possible so that they could be handed over to the public. He also instructed officials to maintain financial discipline and ensure that the maximum possible benefit from the development projects reaches the people.

15,646 Praja Shakthi projects launched

The Government has still not made adequate preparations to introduce the new education reforms from next year (2027), including the training of teachers who will be required to implement the changes, the Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) claimed.CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said the Government was planning to introduce the new reforms for Grades Two and Six from next year, but the necessary preparations were not being carried out properly. He said teacher training for the reforms was still progressing slowly and questioned whether the Government would be ready to implement the changes as planned.“These reforms are coming next year for Grades Two and Six anyway, but the training of teachers for this is still happening very slowly. These reforms are a continuation of reforms introduced during the Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration that were later abandoned without being implemented." Stalin also said the union had not seen sufficient progress on the policy framework that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had asked the National Education Commission (NEC) to prepare for the reforms. “We do not know whether the NEC has completed it yet. It has still not been presented to the public or even discussed publicly,” he said.He further said the Government should first address the practical problems already affecting the existing education system before introducing reforms that did not provide solutions to those problems. “There are a number of practical crises in the existing education system. If reforms are introduced without providing solutions to these problems, then the Government needs to think about them again.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Education Ministry Secretary, Nalaka Kaluwewa said recently that education reforms that were halted following problems with the Grade Six English language modules were expected to be rolled out from January 2027.&nbsp;

Education Reforms: Teacher training still incomplete: CTU 

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has instructed authorities to restrict diesel vehicles within the Anuradhapura Sacred City and introduce an organised electric-bus service to ease traffic congestion and protect the environment of the sacred area.The directive was issued during a meeting at the Anuradhapura District Secretariat to review the Anuradhapura Sacred City Development Plan.Under the proposed transport system, electric buses will operate daily on a circular route within the Sacred City under the Anuradhapura Municipal Council. The service is intended to provide convenient and environmentally friendly transport for pilgrims visiting the Atamasthana, or eight sacred sites.According to the President’s Media Division (PMD), Dissanayake stressed the need to develop Anuradhapura as an environmentally sensitive zone while reducing vehicle congestion. He also called for measures to encourage devotees to walk within the Sacred City.The development plan is expected to include dedicated lanes for pedestrians and cyclists, along with shaded and cool rest areas for pilgrims arriving by train and bus.The President said archaeological sites in the Sacred City should not be treated merely as “ruins”, but as “living historical sites” that continue to be venerated by the public. Accordingly, the development of facilities for devotees should take into consideration both the religious and archaeological significance of the area.Dissanayake also ordered the accelerated revision of the Sacred City Development Plan, with new proposals incorporated. The Director General of the National Physical Planning Department has been instructed to present the revised plan to the Anuradhapura Sacred City Development Committee on 8 September, while the complete detailed plan is to be finalised by 15 September.The Government plans to commence work on the project before the end of this year.The Anuradhapura Sacred City Development Project is being upgraded with assistance from the Government of India, with an investment of up to Rs. 6.5 billion. The existing Sacred City boundary, covering approximately 28 square kilometres, is also expected to be expanded to 38 square kilometres.

Govt wary of strict private hospital rules

Audit finds: Customs vehicles left to rot for eight years

Audit finds: Customs vehicles ...

Doctors Warn: Drought could worsen child malnutrition

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NATA seeks Meta help over tobacco promotions

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Groundwater Extraction: NWSDB vows to follow WRB guidelines

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15,646 Praja Shakthi projects launched

15,646 Praja Shakthi projects ...

Education Reforms: Teacher training still incomplete: CTU

Education Reforms: Teacher tra ...

Diesel vehicles to be restricted in Anuradhapura

Diesel vehicles to be restrict ...

Audit finds: Customs vehicles left to rot for eight years

Audit finds: Customs vehicles ...

Doctors Warn: Drought could worsen child malnutrition

Doctors Warn: Drought could wo ...

NATA seeks Meta help over tobacco promotions

NATA seeks Meta help over toba ...

Groundwater Extraction: NWSDB vows to follow WRB guidelines

Groundwater Extraction: NWSDB ...

22A petition window closes today

22A petition window closes tod ...

15,646 Praja Shakthi projects launched

15,646 Praja Shakthi projects ...

Education Reforms: Teacher training still incomplete: CTU

Education Reforms: Teacher tra ...

Diesel vehicles to be restricted in Anuradhapura

Diesel vehicles to be restrict ...

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