The oil anointing ceremony for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year was held on April 16 at the historic Rajamaha Viharaya in Kolonnawa, with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

Following the chanting of the blessings of pirith, the oil anointing ritual was carried out at the auspicious time of 9:04 a.m., led by the Chief Incumbent of the temple, Venerable Kolonnawa Dhammika Thero.

Conveying the New Year wishes for the public at the event, the Prime Minister conveyed stated:

"The Sinhala and Tamil New Year is one of the most important festivities in our country. It is a celebration with our families, reflecting our traditions and customs while strengthening the ties.

This festival leads the path for renewing unity, love, and bonds stronger. These values enrich a country. Development of a country is not limited by one-dimensional; a true development includes spirituality, relationships, and connections. The reason why we uphold these customs in such ceremonies is to remind ourselves of the significance and to pass on their value to future generations.

Therefore, today marks a significant day. Throughout this week, we came together and engaged in various activities. Followed by, the next event will mark the leaving for employment at the auspicious time and we should start working collectively to rebuild the country.

I wish everyone a New Year that is prosperous, peaceful, joyful, full of strengthened relationships, and most importantly, safe for all."

The ceremony was graced by the presence of the Maha Sangha, and attended by the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Eranga Gunasekara, Divisional Secretary to Kolonnawa Priyanath Perera, Municipal Secretary Nelum Kumari Gamage, and the residents of the area.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya took part in a blessing ceremony held on April 14 at the Sri Venkateshwara Maha Vishnu Moorthy Kovil in Nedimala, following an invitation extended by the leader of the candidate team for the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council and former Additional Surveyor General, a member to the Colombo District Executive Committee of the NPP Mr. Perakum Shantha and other representatives.

During the ceremony, Hindu religious blessings were invoked for the New Year.

The occasion was attended by the members to the National People’s Power candidate team for the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council, Lalith Sirinimal, Asela Fonseka, Akalanka Serasinghe, Damith Jayawardena, Jayantha Gunaratne, Lakshman Gamalath, Sarath Dhammika, Dinesh Somathilake, Kulasingarasa Ramanan, Ramani Alakolanga, Rasmina Hasan, Kumari Karunajeewa, and Yalini Rajarathnam.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

The National Ceremony to celebrate the Sinhala and Tamil New Year was held on April 14, at the residence of Attorney-at-Law Mr. Saman Leelarathna in Pahala Bomiriya, Kaduwela, with the participation of Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya.

Commencing the New Year’s observances at 6:44 a.m. of auspicious time, the Prime Minister ceremonially planted a mango sapling, signifying the prosperity and the commencement of work for the new year.

The event was featured by traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year customs, popular folk games, songs, and dances, reflecting and honouring national new year traditions and the rich cultural heritage of Sri Lanka.

The celebration was organized jointly by the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Divisional Secretariat of Kaduwela.

The occasion was attended by the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Mr. Hiniduma Sunil Senewi, Deputy Minister Mr. Muneer Munaffar, Members of Parliament Mr. Asitha Niroshan and Mrs. Kaushalya Ariyarathna, along with other distinguished guests.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Let us step into the New Year with renewed hope and a vision, as we continue to work together toward “a prosperous country and a beautiful life.”

I extend my heartfelt wishes to the Sinhala and Tamil people of Sri Lanka, who celebrate the New Year in unity and generosity.

This New Year dawns at a moment when a new change is essential in every aspect of our lives. This traditional festivity reminds us to bring about positive change that is deep rooted in our culture and values, and move forward together in unity.

In recent years, the economic crisis made even the thought of celebrating the New Year a painful experience for many. However, the courageous efforts of the people to break free from a cycle of corruption and fraud, has led the path for the emergence of a new beginning.

Thus, the 2025 New Year marks a significant turning point. It is a year where communities from the North, South, East, and West unite and continue to work together under democratic principles to build a better future. In the upcoming month of May, the people’s aspirations will once again bear fruit.

At this moment when a new chapter begins with the New Year, I urge every citizen to act with respect, peace, and compassion in community. Let us commit ourselves to move forward with dedication, trust, and resilience to achieve success and progress in the coming year.

To all Sri Lankans celebrating Sinhala and Tamil New Year, I wish the nation is blessed with the strength, unity, and new energy needed for meaningful transformation and a prosperous tomorrow.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
Prime Minister
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
14th April 2025

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that, as mentioned in the manifesto of the National People’s Power, which follows the envision of ’a prosperous country and a beautiful life’, the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) will be abolished in the future.

The Prime Minister made these remarks on April 12th, while participating in a public gathering near the Silawathura bus stop in the Musali electoral division of Mannar District.

The Prime Minister stated that a committee has already been appointed by the Cabinet regarding the removal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), and accordingly, steps will be taken to abolish the Act in the future.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further emphasized that under no circumstances the people will be subjected to any form of oppression based on religion or ethnicity, and that the government will never look at crises with a racist mindset.

Prime Minister’s Media Division

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the government is currently working to initiate new projects across every area of Sri Lanka and to bring the necessary investments to rural areas in order to improve the participation of the communities in strengthening the national economy.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing a public gathering held today (12th) in Nanattan, Mannar.

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya further stated:

“Our country has reached a decisive point. The government of National People’s Power (NPP) stands at understanding the expectations of the people. The general public came together despite the ethnic and religious barriers to exercise their voting right against the corruption in the politics that existed in this country. Consequently, Anura Kumara Dissanayake was able to become the President in 2024. A month later, we formed a Parliament that will initiate in changing the history. Today, we have a government made up of 159 members. There is now a strong group in Parliament standing against the corruption and a government that represents all ethnicities, religions, and regions. For the first time in history, we have formed a government made by a single party that represents everyone. The people are the ones who made this victory possible and they are the true victors in this cause.

We are committed to protecting the trust the people have placed in us and to fulfilling their expectations.

You are well aware of how weak the economy was when we came to power. Officially, we had been declared a bankrupt nation before the world. For many years, Sri Lanka had no economic growth and was in a debt-ridden economy. Tourism sector had been collapsed. Due to the corruption in political authority, investors were unwilling to invest the country. Today, we have changed all that. We have officially succeeded in removing the label of ’bankrupted’. We have managed to steer the economy towards growth leading the investments are being restored and the confidence in Sri Lanka has increased internationally.

We are working to start new projects in every area of Sri Lanka to bring the necessary investments to the rural sector, with the aim of improving the participation of rural communities in the national economy.

The first budget of the NPP government has passed. Even though the economy is not yet strong, we focused on two main priorities in the budget: one was to develop infrastructure necessary for economic growth, and the other was to provide relief to people burdened by economic hardships. That’s why we have increased and extended the period of Aswesuma benefits. Further, for schools with lower than 300 students, vouchers to buy schoolbooks was distributed along with the government’s intervention to strengthening the social protection system.

Previous governments were a burden to the people. But today, we have a very small Cabinet of members. The government is no longer a burden to people. We have reduced expenses, minimized losses, and eliminated the corruption.

Because of a government that is not a burden to the people, it was able to provide relief to the people. Through this budget, the basic salaries of public service have been increased. Now, the public service has become a much better place to earn a good income. They have been given the opportunity to work freely. Decisions for the people are now statistical data and not based on political preferences. What we expect is an independent public service. We are in need of a people-centered government as well as a public service and it should be an efficient, corruption-free, people-sensitive public service. We have already created the necessary environment for that.

In order to develop the rural economy, the government has allocated a large amount of funding through this year’s budget but for that allocations are to be used properly for the purpose of serving people, the local government institutions are need to be cleaned up. If the leaders who represents the villages are corrupted, the allocation of fundings will become worthless. That is why the upcoming local government elections has become extremely significant and decisive.”

The event was attended by the Members of Parliament Jegadeeswaran and S .Thilakanadan, public representatives, and candidates of local government election representing the NPP.

Prime Minister’s Media Division