Srilanka

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the tax amendments proposed by the Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera in his Budget 2019. Accordingly, the Cabinet has approved the Amendment Draft Bills on Nation Building Tax and Value Added Tax (VAT).Thus, the hotels, guest house, restaurants which are registered with the Tourist Board where they receive payment for such service in foreign currency through local commercial banks, such money will be exempted from Nation Building Tax. This has aimed to strengthen the tourist industry. At the same time, importation of yachts and other vessels for pleasure or sport purposes will also be exempted from Nation Building Tax.

Sushma Swaraj, India's former external affairs minister and a senior member of the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has died at the age of 67.Swaraj died of a heart attack on Tuesday after being rushed to the emergency ward of All India Institute of Medical Science hospital in New Delhi, the Press Trust of India reported.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the main aim of the country is to become a developed nation with a developed economy.Economic indicators are not the only parameters to measure the development of a country. To become a developed country, people of the country should be enriched with human qualities, the Premier said.The Prime Minister was speaking at a ceremony at Temple Trees yesterday to grant compensation to persons affected by acts of political revenge, and victimis of ethnic problems in the Digana area in 2016. Around 500 persons of the 1,750 families affected in the 1994 clashes were also compensated.

Former Law and Order Minister Ranjith Maddubandara yesterday said he functioned as the Law and Order Minister only for seven months and said there should be a Permanent Minister and a Secretary for Law and Order so as to work effectively in matters related to national security.