The eighth commemoration ceremony of Ven. Maduluawe Sobitha Thero was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at Sri Naga Vihara, Kotte (2023.11.08).

This commemoration ceremony was organised by Ven. Kotahene Narada Thero and Maha Sangha including Ven. Malwane Pannasara thero, Chief Incumbent of Sri Kalyani Samagri Dharma Maha Sangha Sabha of Maha Vihara Vansika Shyamopali Maha Vihara, Ven. Murutthettuve Ananda thero, Chief Sanghanayaka of Western Province, Ven. Vathuruwila Sujatha thero, and former President Maithripala Sirisena, Parliamentarians Yadamini Gunawardena and Jagath Kumara, and a group including devotees participated in this event.

Prime Minister’s Media Division MORE >>

Portugal to explore possibility of enhancing trade and tourism with Sri Lanka

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena held a discussion with Portuguese Ambassador Joao Manuel Mendes de Almeida on further strengthening ties between the two countries when the latter called on him at the Temple Trees on November 6.

The Prime Minister urged Portugal to consider promoting Sri Lanka as a favourable tourist destination in Portugal by introducing a programme similar to the ’Voyage to the East in the 19th Century, tracing the history from Lisbon to Goa’. He said such a promotion could be extended from Lisbon to Galle in Sri Lanka to attract tourists.

Ambassador de Almeida, recalling his visit to Galle as a tourist 20 years ago, said Sri Lanka has immense potential to attract Portuguese tour MORE >>

Prime Minister thanks Venezuela for support extended at UNHRC

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena expressed gratitude to Venezuela for consistent support extended to Sri Lanka at UNHRC and other international forums. He said this when Venezuela Ambassador Capaya Rodriguez Gonzalez called on him at the Temple Trees on Monday (November 6).

Ambassador Ms Gonzalez said that some affluent countries have double standards while dealing with developing countries like Sri Lanka and Venezuela and stressed the need to jointly face such interference in sovereign nations.

The Prime Minister said Sri Lankan youth have great interest now in learning foreign languages and requested Venezuela to introduce an academic exchange programme so that Sri Lankan universities could obtain Spanish la MORE >>

Prime Minister calls for Iranian investments in energy sector

New Ambassador of Iran Alireza Delkhosh paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Temple Trees today (November 6).

The Ambassador referring to the friendship and close sociocultural ties between the two countries since ancient times, assured that he would work for further expansion of economic and cultural relationship between Iran and Sri Lanka during his diplomatic tenure.

The Prime Minister said Iran has the opportunities now to invest in new sectors such as agriculture and industrial sectors in addition to energy sector. He also thanked Iran for the support and assistance provided to Sri Lanka for the development work as well as to help early recovery from current economic problems.< MORE >>

No one living today has seen the pain and suffering experienced by the estate community of Indian origin. - Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena

The ’Nam 200’ (We 200) celebration organized to mark the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Indian Origin Tamil (IOT) community was held on 02. 11.2023, under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, with the participation of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, at Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo.

Indian Finance Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman also participated in this event and was welcomed by more than 5000 Tamil people from the upcountry. The festival consisted of various cultural elements.

The inauguration of the project to build 10,000 houses under Indian aid in the lower part of Dimbula, Kotagala, Mount Vernon estate and the opening of a new auditorium and a computer unit at the Hatton Vo MORE >>

India appreciates Premier Gunawardena’s unstinted efforts to promote Indo-Lanka friendship and cooperation – Nirmala Sitharaman

Indian Minister of Finance Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Temple Trees on 2nd of November 2023. The Prime Minister thanked India for the allocation of Indian Rs 824 million under the Memorandum of Understanding signed during the visit of the Finance Minister for solar electrification of religious places out of the Indian grant assistance of Indian Rs 1.0747 billion earmarked for the promotion of Buddhist ties.

Indian Finance Minister said India highly appreciates Prime Minister Gunawardena’s unstinted efforts to promote Indo-Lanka friendship and cooperation. “Decades ago when we fighting for our independence, your parents associated in Indian freedom struggle and now as Prime Mi MORE >>

The issue of the ownership of the land should be settled for the cultivation - Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister stated that the issues with regard to the ownership of the land should be settled for the cultivation at the Vavuniya District Food Security Program held today (2023.11.01) at the Vavuniya District Secretariat, in conjunction with the New Village - New Country National Programme.

Speaking on this occasion the Prime Minister further said that-

One of the issues prevailing in the Vavuniya District is the land issue. The second problem is the issues that have arisen for a long time due to conflict with the Forest Conservation Department and forest conservation rules and regulations. When I presented the project of Vavuniya Water Scheme as the Minister of Water Supply, one department after anot MORE >>

The Vavuniya Town Council has been upgraded as a Municipal Council in accordance with the Gazette No 2296/05 dated 6th September 2022 of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena opened the Website of the Vavuniya Municipal Council. A digital service to facilitate the public was also introduced on this occasion. Governor of North S P Charles, State Ministers Janaka Wakkumbura, Ashoka Priyantha, Kader Mastana, MPs Kulasingham Dilibaran, Yadamini Gunawardena, Commissioner of Northern Province, senior officials and the public were present on this occasion. MORE >>

Digital tech facility to 22,000 families of Madyama Nuwaragam Palatha New building of Madyama Nuwaragam Palatha Divisional Secretariat vested to public

Development of Municipal Area and preserving the Sacred City of Anuradhapura is of extreme importance – Prime Minister

The new building of the Madyama Nuwaragam Palatha Divisional Secretariat was vested to the public at Pandulagama, Anuradhapura under the patronage of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Tuesday (2023.10.31), which marks the World Cities Day.

Speaking on this occasion the Prime Minister stated that-

“The Buddhist community of the world consider Anuradhapura as one of the oldest cities in the world. This city is under the shade of most sacred Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi. This Divisional secretariat is a special government office in a special city. This Divisional Secretariat, which  MORE >>

Taking measures to increase the Aswasuma provisions. - Prime Minister

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said that the government would take measures to increase Aswesuma benefits to low income families. He stated this at the Anuradhapura Special Coordination Committee Meeting on “New Village - New Country” National Integration Participatory Development Program held on 31.10.2023 at the North Central Province Secretariat.

Speaking on this occasion Prime Minister stated that-

“Anuradhapura district is a central district that has a unique respect as the heart of the country. This district receives a special respect in the irrigation industry. It is the farmers of Anuradhapura district who have proved that it is possible to produce a surplus rice harvest. There are 14,300 Grama MORE >>

New two-storey building of Vidyadharma Dhamma School in Avissawella Manikkawatta Sri Vijayarama Temple, was declared open by Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena (29.10.2023).

The premises of the new two-storied building, named Yogiyane Jinawansa Nahimi Memorial Building, is a land donated to the temple by the Prime Minister when he was the Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development. Principal of Vidya Dhamma Dhamma School, Kuruvita Ratanawansa thero presented a memento to the Prime Minister thanking him for providing electricity, water, telephone facilities and roads to the village of Manikkawatta and the Dhamma School premises as a member of parliament.

Maha Sangha including Gonagala Jinarathana Thero, Chief Incumbent of Manikkawatta Sri Wijayaramaya, Member of Parliament Mr. Yadamini Gunawardena, regional public representatives and Dhamma school students participated in this event MORE >>

අරලියගහ මන්දිරයේ පැවැත්වෙන ’ධර්ම දීපනී’ රූපවාහිනි සජීවී ධර්ම දේශනා මාලාව

වප් පොහෝ දින ධර්ම දේශකයාණන් වහන්සේ වැලිගම අග්‍රබෝධි රජමහා විහාරාධිපති රුහුණු විශ්වවිද්‍යාලයේ සම්මානිත මහාචාර්ය දක්ෂිණ ලංකාවේ ප්‍රධාන අධිකරණ සංඝනායක පූජ්‍ය මිදිගම සෝරත නාහිමිපාණෝ. MORE >>

Centenary celebration of Royal College at Reid Avenue was held today (October 27) with the participation of President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

Those who were present included Minister Susil Premajayantha, State Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya, MPs Lakshman Kiriella, Gayantha Karunathilake, M A Sumanthiran, Rauf Hakeem, Eran Wickremaratne, Harsha de Silva, C V Wigneshwaran, Yadamini Gunawardena, Kavinda Jayawardane, past principals, current principal and staff and students. MORE >>

Immediately appoint multi-purpose development assistants to relevant institutions - Prime Minister

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena instructed the government officials to appoint the multi-purpose development assistants who have not yet been appointed to the relevant institutions before 15th of November.

A discussion was held on the performance and expediting the process of appointments of the Multipurpose Development Task Force Department today (25.10.2023) at the Prime Minister’s Office under the patronage of Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena.

In this discussion, the attention was paid to the steps taken so far by the official committee appointed by the Cabinet to review the government recruitment process.

At present, instructions have been given to appoint multi-purpose development  MORE >>

China Foundation for Rural Development to assist Sri Lanka

Vice President of China Foundation for Rural Development Liu Wenkui said his Foundation would assist Sri Lanka’s poverty alleviation programme. He gave this assurance when he called on Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Prime Minister’s Office in Colombo today (October 25).

The Prime Minister said China’s success in eradication of poverty, rural upliftment and ensuring food security has been exemplary. “I thank China for magnanimous contributions to the efforts of my country as well as other developing nations towards achieving food security,” he said.

He expressed appreciation to President Xi Jinping for the offer of continuous support to Sri Lanka during President Ranil Wickremesinghe& MORE >>