Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa

Ayubowan,

It gives me great pleasure to address you this evening and I am very happy to see such an illustrious turnout at this event.

As we are all aware, climate change is one of the greatest crises the world currently faces.

The leaders of nearly all countries are meeting over the next two days to discuss and hopefully commit to actions that will start leading us out of it.

In doing so, one of the key issues that Sri Lanka and some other countries will rightfully draw attention to is that of sustainable nitrogen management.

In October 2019, fourteen nations joined the Colombo Declaration on Sustainable Management.

This important declaration encourages nations to develop national roadmaps for sustainable nitrogen management, with a view to reducing nitrogen waste in half by 2030.

I thank the nations already associated with this declaration and encourage others to do the same.

Nitrogen is an abundant element that is essential to the sustenance of all living things.

However, reactive nitrogen generated by human activity and released into ecosystems worsens climate change.

Overuse of nitrogen, especially in fertilisers, has adverse impacts on soil, water, air, and human health.

For decades, chronic kidney disease has been a serious issue in Sri Lanka’s agricultural heartland.

The overuse of chemical fertilisers has contributed significantly to this problem.

It is in this context that my Government took firm steps to reduce imports of chemical fertilizer, and strongly encourage organic agriculture.

Although this action has been broadly appreciated, it has also met with some criticism and resistance.

In addition to chemical fertilizer lobby groups, this resistance has come from farmers who have grown accustomed to overusing fertilizer as an easy means of increasing yields.

This is particularly unfortunate considering Sri Lanka’s rich agricultural heritage.

Sri Lanka was known in historic times as the granary of the East.

This reputation was achieved in part due to the sophistication of our ancient hydraulic civilization.

It was also supported by the traditional wisdom and practices inherited by our farmers in the past, who understood the importance of respecting nature and worked hard to sustain it.

The challenge facing us now is to use modern scientific techniques and practices to enhance agricultural production without causing environmental degradation.

We require a new agricultural revolution that has sustainability at its core.

Sri Lanka’s philosophical heritage, enriched by the teachings of Lord Buddha, has always encouraged us to balance ecological concerns with human needs.

Humans must be in sync with nature, rather than work against it.

My Government’s policy frameworks emphasizes sustainability.

This is reflected in Sri Lanka’s ambitious updated Nationally Determined Contributions to the UNFCC Mechanism.

These include increasing the contribution of renewable energy sources to 70% of national needs by 2030, achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and ensuring no more new coal power projects.

Sri Lanka is proud to be a co-lead of the Energy Compact for No New Coal Power.

We also play a leadership role in mangrove restoration and conservation, including through the Commonwealth Blue Charter.

Sri Lanka’s progressive agenda on the environment is despite the resource constraints it faces as a developing nation.

Sustaining such an agenda alongside development programmes is challenging for all developing nations, especially following the pandemic.

I therefore hope that developed countries will extend their fullest support to such nations through development assistance, technology transfers, skills development, investment and financing support.

There is also a significant role for businesses in this endeavour, and significant returns to be made in investments into sustainability.

Sri Lanka especially welcomes investments into renewable energy as well as organic agriculture and is prepared to support their success through incentives and appropriate policy interventions.

I therefore hope that greater cooperation in this regard will be forthcoming in the future.

All of us alive today are custodians of this planet on behalf of future generations.

We must all work together towards ensuring its health by contributing in whatever way we can.

If we all do this in a spirit of togetherness and good will, I am certain we will succeed in effecting positive change for our people and our planet.

Thank you.

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The video can be viewed through the following link: https://youtu.be/qc0x6AO2W_k

Please find the following information pertaining to receiving remittances from Sri Lanka.

• With  regard  to  foreign   remittances,  on  19th   March  2020  Foreign  Exchange Department   of  the Central  Bank issued a directive  to  Authorized   Dealers on  Release of  Foreign Currency  Notes for Travel  Purposes with a ceiling of  SD 5,000.(Annex I). Please note  that  this is not applicable and/or  arisen in the context of persons who  have already left Sri Lanka for short term visits.

• Therefore,  persons who  have gone  abroad  for  studies  (under  student  or equivalent  visas) or for medical  purposes  or on their  behalf,  persons in Sri Lanka are permitted to remit  funds from  Sri Lanka to cover expenses of university/tuition/training fees, living expenses, medical charges or as any related fees etc. through Authorized Dealers,that is already permitted asCurrent transactions under the Foreign Exchange Act (FEA).

• Further,on 9th April 2020 Central Bank issued a Press Release on"The Government and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Introduce Further Measures to Preserve the Foreign Currency Reserve Position of Sri Lanka"(Annex  II) which also clearly states that suspension is only on foreign currency remittances pertaining  to capital transactions and NOT current transactions.(i.e. for educational and medical purposes,living expenses,etc.)

• Persons who  have gone  abroad  for  pursuing  education  (i.e. students)  are recognized  as persons resident  in Sri Lanka for  the  purposes  of  FEA. Accordingly,such students can obtain Electronic Fund Transfer Cards (EFTCs) (i.e. credit debit cards)  from  Authorized   Dealers  in terms  of  the Directions  issued under  FEA to that  effect.

•  If  anyone  stranded   abroad   need  to  get  his/her  credit  limit  enhanced,  it  is a decision  of  the respective Authorized   Dealer and there are no credit  limits imposed  under  FEA on EFTCs.

•  Persons who have gone abroad for short term purposes (other  than  the  persons  who  have migrated  or those who  have left SL for employment   abroad)  are permitted  to  obtain  EFTCs from ADs for  making  payments  in foreign  exchange to  persons resident  outside  Sri Lanka in respect of personal nature current  transactions.

• Foreign currency  earners who  have to  repay loans in foreign  currency  and whose  incomes  have been  adversely affected due to the Covid-19 outbreak can obtain a  three(03)  months postponement of repayment of  loans.These borrowers   should contact   the respective banks before 30 Apr 2020.

         You may contact the Sri Lanka High Commission in Ottawa on                    E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . if you require any further details.

        Sri Lanka High Commission

        Ottawa

        20.04.2020

The Consular Affairs Division of the Foreign Ministry receives a high number of service seekers to get various certificates/documents authenticated nowadays from different parts of the country. The division provides services using full capacity of the officers and certificates/documents are authenticated through the Electronic Documents Attestation System (e-DAS) in its full capacity. Service seekers are requested to visit the Consular Affairs Division for authentication purposes from 7.30 am to 1.30 pm during the working days.

In order to avoid long waiting time in the queues and ease congregation of the public at the Division, the service seekers are encouraged to obtain online appointments through the link: http://consular.mfa.gov.lk/ONLINEBOOKING which facilitates applicant to reserve a time slot and obtain services without being in the long queues.

The service seekers are also encouraged to visit Regional Offices in Matara, Jaffna, Kandy, Kurunegala and Trincomalee to obtain consular services. Contact details are given below;

• Matara - Anagarika Dharmapala Mw, Pamburana, Matara, Tel. 041 2226697   Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Jaffna - Jaffna District Secretariat, Tel. 021 2215972 Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Kandy - Mahinda Rajapaksa Information Technology Centre, Gatabe, Tel. 081 2384410    Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Kurunegala - Department of Child and Probation Care Services, Dambulla Rd, Tel. 037 2225931 Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• Trincomalee - Chief Secretary’s Office, Tel 026 2223186 Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

The Consular Affairs Division may be contacted for further details for various consular services via;

Authentication section for attestation of certificates/documents : Tel.  2338812/7711194

Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Sri Lankans’ deaths overseas:  2338836/3136715

Compensation with regard to Sri Lankans’ deaths overseas:  2437635/7101193

Repatriation of Stranded Sri Lankans: 2338837

Overseas Sri Lankan Affairs: 2338847

Miscellaneous  : 2338843

Other Section   : 2335942

Foreign Ministry

Colombo

29 October 2021

(https://mfa.gov.lk/fm-consular-services/)