True
MP Gammanpila constitutionally correct on presidential polls
According to the constitution of our country, [the] presidential election must be held for certain between 18th September and 18th October 2024.
Udaya Gammanpila’s YouTube Channel | January 8, 2024
Posted on: 15 February, 2024
True
State minister Siyambalapitiya on 4 Mn people paid monthly by govt.
[A group of] 4 million are watching the government expectantly. 2 million out of that are government employees and pensioners who are expecting an increase in salaries and the other 2 million are those who have been admitted to the social welfare process through Aswesuma.
Ranjith Siyambalapitiya’s Facebook Page | November 8, 2023
Posted on: 8 February, 2024
True
Data defends MP Wickramaratne on defence budget
When considering the Ministry of Defence, we spent 7% of the total budget for 2022 on it [Ministry of Defence] ... 60% of that goes to pay wages…Sri Lanka is one out of ten countries that has the greatest number of soldiers per 100 citizens. If we take 200 countries, we are in the first 10. Sri Lanka is a country that has around 1.5 soldiers for every 100 citizens.
Parliament YouTube page | November 14, 2023
Posted on: 26 January, 2024
True
President Wickremesinghe says money printing is prevented
We put the Central Bank there [in charge] without meddling in it. Henceforth, according to the law, we won’t be able to print money. We have lost our ability to borrow (obtain loans) from the Bank of Ceylon and the Peoples' Bank. Although it is tough, we have taken these steps to control inflation.
Rupavahini News | October 21, 2023
Posted on: 9 November, 2023
True
MP de Silva stays real on expected real returns for EPF
[…] In the [EPF] Act itself it specifies 2.5% return. […] at the time inflation was at around 1 percent, if you look at 5 years prior to 1958, the average would have been 1 percent. […] Over the years, some years have been positive, and some returns have been negative in terms of real returns. Last year the EPF return on a real basis was -47%. […]
Newsline | May 22, 2023
Posted on: 29 September, 2023
True
MP Amarasuriya: Women are contributing more but counted less in the labour force
…there are a few factors that are not considered when measuring the contribution to the labour force…[a] large chunk of unremunerated work done by women is the main type of work that is not included in these statistics. According to statistics presented through research, 60% of care-giving work…which is unremunerated, is done by women. It is while doing these tasks and in addition to it that they also engage in economic activities…research has shown that…women work at least 14 hours a day. Men work only 9 hours. It is within this reality that we are proposing that women should work more; that they are not working enough and should work more.
NPP Press Conference on NPP’s Official Facebook Page | July 16, 2023
Posted on: 17 August, 2023
True
MP Gammanpila on the CBSL’s step-motherly treatment of EPF
In addition to the provident fund of the general public, CBSL also maintains a separate provident fund for its officers […] CBSL invested its funds in places where it could get the highest returns and credited an interest of 29% from the [its] provident fund to the accounts of its officers. Yet, the general public was only given a paltry interest of 9% after [the CBSL]…
Udaya Gammanpila’s Official Facebook Page | July 4, 2023
Posted on: 10 August, 2023
True
MP Gammanpila: IMF doesn’t demand DDR, but foreign debt holders do
The IMF has not imposed a condition saying to restructure domestic debt. ….. That being the case, who has intimidated us to the point of doing this? What has happened is that foreign bondholders – sovereign bondholders – have imposed a condition saying that if their debt is restructured…then, something similar must also be done to domestic debt.
Daily Mirror News YouTube page | June 27, 2023
Posted on: 27 July, 2023
True
State Minister Siyambalapitiya rides well on vehicle import numbers
...within that period [2015-2020], we have brought 2,498,714 vehicles...worth Rs. 1,331.51 billion...We have taxed [them to the value of] 991.12 billion.
YouTube Page of Parliament of Sri Lanka | June 9, 2023
Posted on: 20 July, 2023
True
MP Hashim spells out the increase of poverty in Sri Lanka
“…by 2019…the poverty line[sic] of this country was 11%…it has grown to 25% by 2023. I believe it is more than that. But the World Bank has calculated that it is only 25%, which means that out of 22 million in this country, 5.5 million are poor.”
YouTube Page of Parliament of Sri Lanka | May 12, 2023
Posted on: 29 June, 2023
True
Minister Gunawardane exposes lack of compliance with fiscal management laws
…. the Fiscal Management Responsibility Act No. 3 of 2003…had three main goals…to maintain the budget gap below 5%..... reducing public debt as a percentage of GDP to 65% by 2013, that is, in 10 years…. reducing the amount that the government guarantees when borrowing to 4.5% of GDP…..today the budget gap is at levels such as 10%, 12%, and the amount of public debt has gone up to more than 125% of the GDP. The guarantee for public debt has gone up to 15%...
Official YouTube Page of the Department of Government Information | May 9, 2023
Posted on: 8 June, 2023
True
MP De Silva exposes EPF & ETF exposure to govt bonds
The majority of Sri Lanka’s domestic debt is in treasury bonds. We have [almost 9,000 billion] worth of treasury bonds….44.5% of that is in banks….43% was borrowed from EPF & ETF
Daily FT | April 20, 2023
Posted on: 25 May, 2023
True
President makes ambiguous claim on debt restructuring
Programme financing gaps: debt service reduction during 2023-27 should be sufficient to close external financing gaps. Under staff baseline scenario, US$17 billion in debt service reduction is required, including the arrears accumulated in 2022 So, we are trying to get a 17 billion debt reduction on that side. Do you want it or not.
Parliament Hansard | April 26, 2023
Posted on: 18 May, 2023
True
Minister Nanayakkara right on the rise in remittances
Sri Lankan migrant workers’ foreign remittances increased to US$ 568.3 million in March 2023 from US$ 318.4 million in March 2022. This is a 78.5% (US$ 249.9 million) increase compared to the inflows recorded in March 2022.
Official twitter page of Manusha Nanayakkara | April 6, 2023
Posted on: 11 May, 2023
True
CBSL Governor corrects the record on “money printing”
The total base money printed in 2021 was Rs. 344 billion, whilst the net basis reserve money issued in 2022 was below Rs. 40 billion.
Daily FT | February 11, 2023
Posted on: 27 April, 2023
True
MP Shanakiyan shines a light on electricity tariff hike
…The officials of the PUCSL were brought to the Presidential Secretariat and approval was obtained for the price hike while both the chairperson and the director general of this commission were away from the country…what the PUCSL has said is to increase a unit [of electricity] from Rs. 8 to Rs. 10 [for the lowest tariff band]. But today, it has been increased from Rs. 8 to Rs. 30.
ManthriLK_Watch | February 24, 2023
Posted on: 23 March, 2023
True
President right on reduction in registered tax files
In 2019, there were 1.5 million income tax files in total…when we abolished the PAYE tax, in December 2021, we [only] had 400,000 income tax files. It reduced from 1.5 million to 400,000.
President’s Media Division | January 28, 2023
Posted on: 9 March, 2023
True
President directs attention to low direct taxes
In other countries, most of the taxes are collected from a higher income bracket. In 2021, in India – 50% direct tax…Bangladesh – direct tax 32%...Nepal – direct 31%....69%. Indonesia – direct tax 40%...Vietnam – direct tax 31%...Thailand – direct taxes 37%...Malaysia – direct tax 66%...However the situation in our country is different. In 2021, our direct tax was 21% while indirect was 79%. We should take action to rectify this tax divergence. Then, the tax burden on the general public will be reduced.
The government’s policy statement from the President’s Media Division | February 8, 2023
Posted on: 17 February, 2023
True
MP Ganesan right when he spoke, on the gap between the estate sector and the rest.
Food insecurity in Sri Lanka is highest in the estate sector at 51%, while it is 43% in the urban sector and 34% in the rural sector. The World Bank has reported that the country’s poverty rate has climbed to 26% and is at 53% in the estates.
Daily Mirror | November 21, 2022
Posted on: 12 January, 2023
True
MP Alagiyawanna: It became more ok to breathe in Sri Lanka between 2018 and 2021
In 2018 we ranked 7th in Asia in terms of the countries that pollute the air the most. At present we have improved this to rank 12th [in Asia]. Globally, we ranked 17th [in 2018], and now we have improved this to rank 58th in the world.
Lankadeepa | November 29, 2022
Posted on: 15 December, 2022
True
President Wickremesinghe lands on his feet on government land ownership
The government being the owner of around 80 percent of land will take measures to facilitate access to land with suitable utilities for domestic and foreign investment.
Interim budget speech (2022) | August 30, 2022
Posted on: 27 October, 2022
True
MP Siyambalapitiya quite sober on alcohol and tobacco taxes
In 2021, 19% of the total tax revenue was received from tobacco and alcohol.
Daily News | September 21, 2022
Posted on: 20 October, 2022
True
CBSL governor good on reduced export of goods
By 2001, export earnings as a percentage of the gross national product stood at around 33%. It is now less than 15%.
Lankadeepa | September 13, 2022
Posted on: 30 September, 2022
True
MP De Silva on target on difficulty of IMF target
The government had reportedly agreed with the IMF to reach a primary account surplus of 2.3% of GDP by 2025. However, the primary account had dropped to around (6%) of GDP during the tenure of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa...It would be a monumental feat to bring the primary account to a surplus of 2.3% of GDP.
Daily FT | September 5, 2022
Posted on: 22 September, 2022
True
Hashim right on the trillion on SOE borrowings
By December 2021, government institutions have borrowed more than Rs. 1 trillion.
Divaina | August 18, 2022
Posted on: 15 September, 2022
True
Minister Gunawardana on track on railways
While Sri Lanka Railways earned a revenue of Rs. 2.6 billion in 2021, it had to pay Rs.7.8 billion just for salaries and wages.
Mawbima | July 27, 2022
Posted on: 8 September, 2022
True
President Wickremesinghe correct about SriLankan Airlines’ soaring losses
The loss of SriLankan Airlines in the year 2020-2021 alone is Rs. 45 billion. By 31st March 2021, the total loss was at 372 billion.
Lankadeepa | May 17, 2022
Posted on: 2 September, 2022
True
Chairperson PUCSL spots possibility for petrol price reduction
The price of petrol was reduced by 20 rupees last night. I had pointed out two weeks ago that the price of a litre of petrol... can be reduced by 150 rupees.
PUCSL Press Release | July 18, 2022
Posted on: 4 August, 2022
True
Deputy UNP Leader Ruwan Wijewardene does no disservice to past debt servicing costs
Some people in the present government say that the country has come to this situation because we [yahapalana government] took loans. 80% of the loans we took were used for settling the loans obtained by Mahinda Rajapaksa’s government.
Daily News | April 27, 2022
Posted on: 28 July, 2022
True
CBSL Governor suitably assesses suitability of EFF for Sri Lanka
An Extended Fund Facility (EFF) - which allows longer repayment periods - may be best suited to the country, it typically requires deeper structural reforms.
Daily News | April 19, 2022
Posted on: 16 June, 2022
True
Minister Wijesekera not at a loss on fuel price revisions
Fuel Price will be revised from 3am today. Fuel pricing formula that was approved by the cabinet was applied to revise the prices. Price revision includes all costs incurred in importing, unloading, distribution to the stations and taxes. Profits not calculated and included.
Official Twitter Page of Kanchana Wijesekera | May 24, 2022
Posted on: 2 June, 2022
True
AKD works out worker remittances
Foreign remittances increased during the first 5 months of 2021. It increased by USD 450Mn. However, it started to drop from the sixth month onwards… This January, it [remittances] reduced by 62%.
Lankadeepa | March 7, 2022
Posted on: 5 May, 2022
True
MP Gammanpila no shortage of facts on fuel
The CPC incurs a loss of Rs. 19 from each 92-Octane Petrol litre…and a loss from a litre of diesel is Rs. 52…. The government levies Rs. 42 on a 92-Octane petrol litre…and Rs. 17 on a diesel litre. [The CPC’s loss per day is a whopping Rs 551 million and the finance ministry collects Rs 364 million daily from the CPC as government taxes] If these levies are removed, the CPC’s loss can be minimized.
Daily News | February 21, 2022
Posted on: 10 March, 2022
True
MP De Silva does not inflate Sri Lanka’s inflation
We [Sri Lanka] have the highest inflation in Asia as of now.
Ada Derana | February 1, 2022
Posted on: 3 March, 2022
True
No reservations on MP Wickramaratne’s claim on Sri Lanka’s reserves
Compared to 2019 and 2021, the decrease in foreign reserves is 80% in Sri Lanka. But other countries in the [South Asian] region have seen an escalation of their reserves.
Daily FT | January 25, 2022
Posted on: 24 February, 2022
True
Minister Alahapperuma on track on Sri Lanka’s journey with the IMF
It was in 1950 that we entered into an agreement with the IMF to obtain its membership. As a member country, from 1960 until now, we have carried out certain transactions with the IMF on 16 occasions. I recall that 2.5 billion dollars was obtained in 2008 during President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s tenure. That was the largest loan obtained from the IMF thus far.
Official Facebook Page of the Department of Government Information | January 19, 2022
Posted on: 17 February, 2022
True
Minister Basil Rajapaksa lays it straight on egg and poultry self-sufficiency
Sri Lanka…[is] already [close to being] self-sufficient in eggs and poultry.
2022 Budget Speech | November 12, 2021
Posted on: 8 December, 2021
True
MP Abeysinghe well organised on organic agriculture statistics
There are only 16 countries in the world that have at least moved towards 10% organic agriculture. No Asian countries are among those 16.
Official Facebook page of Samagi Jana Balawegaya | October 26, 2021
Posted on: 17 November, 2021
True
Minister of Energy Gammanpila mostly correct on fuel import expenditure
Out of the total import expenditure, fuel is the foremost import item upon which more than 20% is spent.
Dinamina | October 1, 2021
Posted on: 4 November, 2021
True
MP Dissanayake tenders valid objection on gas pipelines contract
…Basil Rajapaksa in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, presented a cabinet paper and handed over these constructions [to convert the Yugadhanawi Power Plant into an LNG plant] to a US company [New Fortress Energy] that was not involved in the tender process in anyway.
JVP Official Facebook Page | September 19, 2021
Posted on: 28 October, 2021
True
MP Bandara correct on tax amnesty being not an amnesty for money laundering
…noteworthy is the fact that [the Finance Act No. 18 of 2021] will not invalidate the Prevention of Money Laundering Act or any other finance law in the country.
Divaina | September 10, 2021
Posted on: 21 October, 2021
True
MP Wickramaratne generates interest on Sri Lanka’s record cost of interest
70% of government revenue is spent on interest on loan repayment. Lebanon is the only country in the world that pays higher interest than Sri Lanka as a percentage of national revenue.
Daily FT | August 5, 2021
Posted on: 30 September, 2021
True
Minister Rambukwella drinks in the truth of domestic milk production
[Local] milk production is still only around 40 per cent of the total requirement.
Daily News | August 11, 2021
Posted on: 16 September, 2021
True
Opposition Leader Premadasa estimates bitter decline in sugar tax revenue
Sri Lanka has lost Rs. 20 billion as a result of the sugar scam.
Official Facebook page of Sajith Premadasa | August 27, 2021
Posted on: 9 September, 2021
True
MP Godahewa mostly true on relatively high population dependence on agriculture sector
Although the contribution by the agriculture sector to the country’s economy is less than 10%, the segment of the population that is dependent on the sector for income is one-third of this country’s population, [that is,] more than 30%.
Mawbima | July 1, 2021
Posted on: 19 August, 2021
True
MP Ranawaka notes a hidden aspect of Sri Lanka’s debt
The CBSL has reported that the public sector debt is 109.7% of the GDP. This is the highest it has ever been in history. If we disregard the government’s undervaluation of sovereign bonds, this figure will exceed 113% of the GDP.
Dinamina | June 2, 2021
Posted on: 5 August, 2021
True
State minister Dayasiri Jayasekara on point on the plummeting of tourism earnings
The tourism industry has collapsed completely following the Easter Sunday attacks and following this COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the collapse of the tourism industry, we have lost USD 5 billion per year that the country should have received.
Daily Mirror Online | July 13, 2021
Posted on: 29 July, 2021
True
Premadasa correct on industry affected by X-Press Pearl disaster
The fisheries industry contributes to 1.1% of Sri Lanka's GDP, according to the 2019 CBSL report.
Divaina | June 3, 2021
Posted on: 1 July, 2021
True
MP Rohana Bandara notes notable debt to China
14% of Sri Lanka’s debt is owed to China…
Dinamina | May 10, 2021
Posted on: 3 June, 2021
True
MP Wimal Weerawansa makes industrious observations on industrial production
Industries occupy a special place in the national manufacturing process in Sri Lanka which is about 26.4% of the national GDP, and only a very low percentage of about 10% contributes to exports.
Daily FT | April 9, 2021
Posted on: 31 May, 2021
True
State Minister Cabraal: Drives home the cost of past vehicle imports
The number of vehicles imported to Sri Lanka from 2015 to 2019 was 2,515,546. And the amount spent on these vehicles imported amounts to Rs. 1,239 billion.
Daily News | April 6, 2021
Posted on: 20 May, 2021
True
MP Harsha de Silva highlights national accounting fraud
CBSL Annual Report states Sri Lanka's budget deficit for 2020 [was a] huge 11%. But it should be even higher at 14%.
Harsha de Silva, Harsha de Silva's Official Twitter | May 1, 2021
Posted on: 13 May, 2021
True
MP Karunatilleka credit worthy on income share of the richest 10%
35% of our country's national income is enjoyed by 10% of the population.
Divaina | March 30, 2021
Posted on: 29 April, 2021
True
MP Champika Ranawaka: right on Sri Lanka being high on fats and sugar (imports)
Compared to 2019, sugar imports have increased by 38% and oil and fat imports have increased by 237%.
Parliament Hansard | February 11, 2021
Posted on: 1 April, 2021
True
Prime Minister Rajapaksa: yields correct understanding on export agriculture
The revenue from export agricultural crops stood at Rs. 63,000 million in 2019. Within one year we have been able to increase it to Rs. 73,000 million.
Dinamina | March 3, 2021
Posted on: 19 March, 2021
True
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva: Teases out the problem in tea exports
Tea export volumes in 2020 declined by 9.2% or 27 million kilos to 265.5 million kilos from the previous year, whilst in value terms, the performance was down by Rs. 10.4 billion or 4.3% to Rs. 230.1 billion from 2019... The latter is despite Free-on-Board (FOB) unit value of tea rising to its highe
Daily FT | February 9, 2021
Posted on: 4 March, 2021
True
MP Eran Wickramaratne correctly flags foreign outflow from stocks
There has been a big outflow of foreign investment from the stock exchange. In terms of rupee value Rs. 51 billion outflows was registered in the year 2020…
Lanka Business Online | January 18, 2021
Posted on: 25 February, 2021
True