A price cap on the retail price of rice has triggered economic instability, causing supply shortages. Government moves have failed to solve the crisis. The Consumer Protection Authority has reported difficulties in monitoring and frequent limited results.
In an interview with AFP, CEO Shmuel Yoskovitz announced that the Singapore-based company will not pay the first instalment of the billion compensation ordered by the Colombo Supreme Court. "It undermines the principle of limitation of liability on which maritime trade is based. We have already spent 0 million to repair the damage." Sri Lanka had announced criminal proceedings in the event of non-compliance.
The High Court of Anuradhapura has upheld an appeal by an association of disabled women, ordering the Ministry of Transport and the railway company to take measures to ensure accessibility on the high-speed line in the Southern Province. An important precedent for the whole country.
Sri Lanka's prison population exceeds 35,000 in facilities designed for 12,000. Drug-related offences account for more than half of all inmates. Prisons Commissioner Jagath Weerasinghe calls for urgent reforms. Some lawyers told AsiaNews that pre-trial detention is used far too often and a legal system is slow in adopting non-custodial sentences.
Minister Nalinda Jayatissa identified four challenges: aging population, noncommunicable diseases, mental health, and nutrition. He stressed the need for better diagnoses and treatment. One of the objectives is to improve the country's ranking on the Universal Health Index.
Every year, approximately 500,000 metric tonnes of fruit and vegetables are lost – enough to feed the country for up to four months. Among the causes are poor transportation and packaging. Losses could be reduced to 5.7 per cent by following the Ministry of Agriculture's guidelines. The Circular Project sponsored by the FAO and the EU aims to reduce food waste with a circular economy approach and digital tools.
