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Increase in taxes and duties on cigarettes and
liquor:
Tax revision to net Rs. 3 billion
The Government has projected an additional
revenue of Rs.3 billion to the coffers through the increase of taxes
and duties on cigarettes and liquor announced yesterday, the Finance
Ministry said. According to the revision, the tax for a litre of
imported beer has been increased by Rs. 50 and for local beer by Rs.
5. Taxes for hard liquor have been increased by Rs. 60 for a litre.
All brands of cigarettes will cost one rupee more per cigarette.
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ETA targets Rs. 2,000m in visa fees
The Immigration and Emigration Department has
set a targeted income of Rs. 2,000 million from visa fees under the
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) scheme. The Controller General of
the Department Chulananda Perera said that the Government has earned
a record income of Rs. 600 million from January 1, the day the ETA
was launched until the third week of March.
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More raids during festive season:
CAA gets tough with errant traders
The Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) has been
directed to increase the number of raids against errant traders
during the festive season, said Cooperatives and Internal Trade
Minister Johnston Fernando. Traders should sell essential food items
at controlled prices, he said. Adequate stocks of essential food
items have been supplied to Lanka Sathosa and Coop Cities during the
recent weeks.
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Opposition fishing in troubled waters all the time
Youth Affairs and Skills Development Minister
Dullas Alahapperuma said that the problem with Sri Lanka’s
Opposition is that it always attempts to fish in troubled waters.
Explaining the Opposition’s duty by the country in the context of
the UNHRC’s decision, the Minister said that in an issue of national
importance, the Opposition should stand by the Government
irrespective of political differences.
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Special traffic scheme for Sinhala and Tamil New Year
A special traffic scheme will come into effect
in the main cities next week on account of the forthcoming Sinhala
and Tamil New Year. Police will enforce road safety rules strictly
to minimise the number of fatal road accidents during the festive
season as a result of drunk driving, Police Media Spokesman SP Ajith
Rohana told the Sunday Observer.
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Royal won the second leg by beating Trinity 13 points (one goal and two penalties) to 9 (three penalties) in the second leg of the 69th Bradby Shield encounter played at Royal rugby grounds this evening. Trinity led 6-3 at half time. 
North Western Provincial Council member Ananda Sarath Kumara had been arrested for punishing a female teacher by forcing her to kneel down, for advising his daughter over a disciplinary matter.
A Lieutenant Colonel and a Corporal attached to the Commando Regiment died while a Major sustained injuries when the Land Rover they were travelling in crashed in to an electricity tower along Thabbowa Tank in Karuwalagaswewa area this morning.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa declared opened the reconstructed Iranamadu airstrip in Killinochchi a short while ago. 
President Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the Commander in Chief of Armed Forces, have appointed Major General Daya Rathnayake as the new Army Commander. 
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed the present Army Chief General Jagath Jayasuriya as the new Chief of Defence Staff with effect from August 01, Presidential Spokesman Mohan Samaranayake, said. 
A 45-year-old man who fell off the fifth storey of an apartment block in Kirulapona succumbed to his injuries last evening, the police said. The victim named Jayapalan, an electrician by profession was attempting to fix an antenna on the fifth storey when he had fallen to his death. 
The Iranamadu runway in Killinochchi will be declared open by President Mahinda Rajapaksa tomorrow.Reconstructed by the Sri Lanka Air Force the runway will be open for all domestic aviation activities.
Ministry of Fisheries is to bring a new regulation making it mandatory to obtain an insurance before fishing in the sea.
Two passengers who were travelling in a trishaw sustained fatal injuries when the vehicle crashed into a bus after the driver had fallen asleep. 
DIG Vaas Gunawardena who was in the CID custody for interrogation over the alleged abduction and murder of businessman Mohammed Shyam was hospitalised following a chest pain, the CID said.The DIG had been admitted to Ward 42 of the National Hospital Colombo short while ago.
